


The Deadline

by Vidservent



Category: Monster Prom (Visual Novel)
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Eventual Relationships, Eventual Romance, F/F, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Friendship, Gen, Hijinks & Shenanigans, M/M, Other, Randomness, Slice of Life, Slow Build, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-17
Updated: 2021-03-08
Packaged: 2021-03-10 08:13:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 30
Words: 146,151
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27600074
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vidservent/pseuds/Vidservent
Summary: It's their last year at Spooky High and Prom is 6 months away (shocker it's so far away)The embodiment of fear isn't sure how he'll get a date for prom but he's sure as hell gonna try!An Oz centric slice of life adventure filled with randomness and friendship.
Relationships: Blue | Vicky & Green | Brian & Red | Amira & Yellow | Oz (Monster Prom), Blue | Vicky/Scott Howl, Damien LaVey/Yellow | Oz, Green | Brian & Yellow | Oz, Green | Brian/Liam de Lioncourt, Minor or Background Relationship(s), Vera Oberlin/Red | Amira
Comments: 60
Kudos: 470





	1. 6 Months

**Author's Note:**

> My first Monster Prom fanfic! Sorry if things are jumbled up or hard to follow. My mind tends to wander lol

It was lunchtime at Spooky High as all the monsters are at the cafeteria to eat lunch (or simply hangout there even if they can’t eat because they don’t want to be excluded). The color crew was sitting at a table together as usual.

“So, I know it might be early to bring this up but…” Vicky started the conversation.

“But what?” Amira asked intrigued.

“Are we all gonna go to prom as a group or will we be going with dates?” Vicky asked sheepishly.

Brian instantly groaned at the mention of prom while Oz just tilted his head unsure of how to respond at the sudden question.

“I mean, I’m not exactly sure yet considering it’s still like 6 months away.” Amira said in a nonchalant way.

“Still! It’s better to plan this early rather than desperately trying to find a date at the last second just to get rejected by everyone you ask!”

 _“Does that mean you plan on finding a date for prom?”_ Oz asked telepathically.

“Well…” the blue girl paused before continuing “I do have someone I want to ask.”

“Ooooo who’s the lucky fellow?” Amira asked intrigued.

“Obviously Scott.” The zombie bluntly claimed.

“BRIAN!”

“Am I wrong?”

“…no. But don’t just blurt it out like that! Have some tact.” Vicky huffed as she crossed her arms puffing her cheeks.

_“Okay, so you want to ask Scott to prom. I don’t really have any plans regarding prom.”_

“I don’t have any plans either.”

“Geez you guys are taking it so lightly. It’s going to be our last prom so I think it should be special. We should all get dates for prom and make it count!”

“I donno. Like I said, it’s still 6 months away.” Amira said nonchalantly as she played with her food.

“Only 6 months left!”

“Right. Well, I guess it would be great if we could all get dates for prom and I might have someone in mind who I’ll ask but what about you guys?”

Vicky and Amira both looked at Brian and Oz who honestly didn’t seem all that interested from the start of this conversation.

“I don’t mind looking for a date but I make no promises I’ll even get one.” Brian said quite reluctantly under the gaze of his hopeful friends.

That being said Oz still hasn’t said a word so everybody focused on him. He looked lost in thought as if the question being asked was a difficult math problem until he realized that everyone was staring at him waiting for his input in which he became flustered.

_“Ummmmm…do- do we have to?”_

“You don’t HAVE to get a date but it would be great if you did! That way we all have dates to the prom.” Vicky explained.

“Don’t worry too much about it. Vicky just doesn’t want us to feel abandoned if she does go to prom with Scott.” Brian said in a slightly teasing tone.

“HEY! DON’T JINX ME!”

“Yeah, it’s fine if you don’t. We’d all be there regardless.” Amira reassured him as she put a hand on Oz’s shoulder.

_“Bu-but you’ll all be trying to get a date for prom, right?”_

“Emphasis on _try_.” Brian said with a deadpan expression.

 _“Then I should at least try too.”_ The fearling said sounding more determined.

“I know I’m the one who brought it up but you don’t need to force yourself, ok? Like Amira said, we’d all still be there.” Vicky said with slight concern in her voice not wanting to put peer pressure on him.

_“I-I know. But I should try and socialize more, at the very least.”_

Since everyone was on board (half of them more reluctant) they all continued their lunch until next class started and they parted ways to either go to their next class or just skip it and do something else.

* * *

On the way to his next class Oz was thinking that he wasn’t entirely sure on what he was going to do about prom. He never had a particular interest in it and it didn’t seem like something special the last few times it happened the previous years. He told his friends he would look for a date but even then, that was still 6 months away so there was plenty of time to pick candidates for the possible date because god knows nobody was going to ask him out to prom.

Thinking back on his friends, Vicky already has someone in mind to ask, same goes for Amira even if he didn’t know who, Brian seemed reluctant to actually find a date but he’s sure he can easily get a date if he wanted to since he’s in the football team. Oz was pretty certain if his friends couldn’t get a date with someone they asked, they would still be offered and asked out by other students since they’re fairly charming and outgoing compared to himself.

Throughout his years in Spooky High, Oz has kept a low profile and doesn’t interact with anybody more than necessary aside from his group of friends and possibly a select few of equally not outstanding students. He was content the way things were and the 3 close friends he made was all that he needed but like he said, it was probably time he socialized more.

He wasn’t really against the idea of getting closer to new people but he wasn’t sure how to even start. It was a miracle he even got 3 close friends to begin with and he had no idea how he should even start to look for a date. What do people even look for in a date for prom? Do they just look for someone they find attractive? Or do they look for someone that would look good as a date partner? The fearling wasn’t sure there was even a difference. This might be more difficult than they thought even with the huge timeframe to work with.

Despite being older than time itself his knowledge on relationships and many feelings in general elude him aside from fear and anxiety, those were feelings he understood.

Suddenly as if on que he felt a huge spike of fear in the air followed by the sounds of screaming students and the heat of burning fire. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out what happened considering it was pretty much a normal occurrence at Spooky High. Damien fucking LaVey had burned a classroom, again. Not wanting to get mixed up in whatever mood Damien was in Oz turned around and headed for the library to skip class since it was burning down anyway.

Back to thinking as he walked to the library while some students are still running and screaming due to the fire Damien set to the classroom. Oz tuned out the noise as he walked at a leisurely pace soaking in all the fear around him. There was never a short supply of fear at Spooky High with all the chaos that happens and it’s made life quite easy for the embodiment of fear.

From an outsider’s perspective Oz probably looked like a mute. He had no visible mouth and only spoke telepathically to his friends and teachers. He has spoken to other students before but it tended to startle them so he opted to use hand gestures most of the time for strangers. This would make things pretty difficult if he continued his silent act.

Now that they’re in the library Oz headed towards one of the computers to start his research. Normally he’d be mining bitcoins or scamming people for money but since he was on a mission it’s time to use the internet to look up on “how to choose a prom date”. Many answers showed up but everything was as vague as it started and didn’t help Oz at all on who he should even ask to prom. At the very least it seems that asking someone to prom 2 months before the date would be appropriate so he has at least 4 more months before he actually had to decide…if anything the internet says it true.

Hitting a dead end on his research on prom Oz supposed that he could just think of anybody to possibly ask to the prom for starters. The first monsters to pop up in his mind was his friends but since they were looking for prom dates as well, he guessed they didn’t count. Then he drew a blank, he can’t really think of any other monster to ask to prom. The thought of Juan The Magical Latino Cat popped up for a moment but that’s just because he likes cats.

“UGH! Those incompetent fools!” a shout spread throughout the library.

Oz looked up from his computer to see who shouted and saw a gorgon staring at a PC not to far from his, her snakes hissed indicating how pissed she was. It was Vera Oberlin one of the 6 most charismatic students at Spooky High along with Scott Howl, Miranda Vanderbilt, Damien LaVey, Polly Geist, and Liam de Liancourt. It was rare to hear her shout when she wasn’t with Damien scheming something and disagree with him.

Being curious on why she shouted in the first place Oz got up from his seat and walked up to her without much thought. It only occurred to him once he was right behind her that it would be rude to peak at the screen and he wasn’t a friend so he had no business asking her what she was shouting about but before he could walk away without her noticing one of her snake hairs saw him (possibly told her about it) and she whipped her head around to glare at him.

“What do you want?!” she said menacingly at him.

Not knowing how to actually respond Oz just raised his hands in front of his chest in a defensive manner and shook his head. Vera glared at him for a few seconds as he didn’t make any other movements just staring at her not sure if it was alright to walk away yet.

Vera was pissed off and out of nowhere someone dared to approached her. Whoever is interrupting her better be prepared to turn into stone if there isn’t a damn good reason. The monster in question simply shook his head and stood still looking at her. She realized he possibly came because of her sudden outburst but for some reason he isn’t saying anything and still looking at her in the eyes. Not many dared to keep eye contact with Vera when they knew they could be turned into stone so it was rather bold of him to do so. Looking closer it seems the monster doesn’t have a mouth so that’s possibly why he’s not saying anything. She visibly calmed down as her snakes stopped moving so erratically after a few moments of awkward silence.

“If you don’t have any business with me then move along.” Vera said coldly as she turned back to her PC screen.

Oz was still behind her saying nothing and just tilted his head as he raised an eyebrow. Normally he’d walk away at this point but with his mission to get a prom date and socialize a bit more while doing it, it seemed like the perfect opportunity for him to interact more considering Vera didn’t just chew him out he’d take the risk of striking a conversation.

 _“Ummm…what seems to be the problem?”_ he said telepathically to Vera in a small whisper barely audible so it wouldn’t startle her.

“Did you say something?”

 _“I said, what seems to be the problem.”_ He said clearer to her which made her stiffen a bit as she’s sure it was a voice inside her head and he didn’t just whisper.

“That was you?” Vera turned back to look at him with a slightly confused face.

Oz simply nodded slowly. Clearing her throat after the confirmation and turning back to the screen to act as if the voice in her head didn’t startle her. While she has no need to explain herself, she did feel like venting to someone about what’s currently pissing her off so she might as well do it to a nobody.

“Just look at this article.” She gestured to her screen.

There was an article about an attempted bank robbery that had been foiled and the culprits are arrested by the police. Still not sure how that could possibly make her upset.

“ _Were the culprits working for you?_ ” he gingerly asked not wanting to rile her up in case he was wrong with his assumption.

“Hah! As if I’d send people on an important job when they could rip me off.” Vera scoffed at the notion. “No, the problem is I was planning to rob that bank but now that someone failed to rob the place is crawling with cops.” She grumbled as she pinched the bridge of her nose just thinking of all the time she wasted casing the bank and all those plans had to be scrapped now.

Oz was still looking at the article and didn’t realize the distress look Vera had. He wasn’t sure if she meant to nonchalantly spell out her plans of future crime but he’s never planned an elaborate heist and he wasn’t going to tell anyone about it so it should be fine. Still not entirely sure why she was upset about the article he blurted out what he thought out loud _“Well, at least they didn’t succeed"_

“What?!” she looked up at him confused on what he was even saying. “What do you mean by that?!”

Startled by the sudden rise of her voice Oz finally turned to look at her. Did he say something to upset her even more? She was already in a moody state which is why he talked to her in the first place with curiosity. Oh, right. She asked him a question.

_“Since these guys got arrested for attempted robbery nobody would suspect that they’d be robbed again so soon and since their security caught the last robbers, they wouldn’t even update their security thinking it’s already sufficient for any future robbery attempts.”_

Vera just stared at him as Oz explained what he thought about the whole thing and her eye grew wider. After he finished explaining her eyes were still wide before they shrunk back to normal as a sly smile appeared upon her face and she stood up from her seat.

“That’s…very true. Now the chances of my plan succeeding has gone up.” She’d never admit that it never crossed her mind since she was too preoccupied with the amount of police surrounding the bank. Still, this nobody did salvage her plans and saved her from a massive headache.

“I’m sure you’re aware but I’m Vera Oberlin.” She paused waiting for Oz’s acknowledgement. He gave a nod. “And you are?”

 _“My name is Oz.”_ he stated. Vera waited for a last name but he didn’t continue.

“Just Oz?”

_“Yup, just Oz.”_

Whatever, she can dig up his last name later if he’s trying to hide it. Vera reached into her pockets to retrieve a business card and handed it to Oz.

“Here’s my business card. Contact me if you have any ‘business dealings’ or legal troubles.”

Oz accepted the card and inspected it while thinking it was a bit too late to be covering up crime dealings when they were just talking about robbing a bank.

“If you’ll excuse me, I have some business to take care of now.” She said as she made her way out of the library.

Probably to rob that bank Oz thought but she’s a pretty busy person so it might be something else. Still not sure what exactly just happened he pocketed the business card and sat down on the seat Vera had left open now that she’s gone. He somehow managed to have a conversation with Vera Oberlin without pissing her off too much or at least he hoped so and got her business card. He’s pretty sure this isn’t what people meant when they say ‘get their number’ but a number is a number so he’ll take it as a win.

The school bell rang indicating the time to switch class so Oz stood up and headed out of the library. Now more confident that he can possibly talk to more monsters other than his small circle of friends. Although he hopes he can focus more on his next interaction and not be too much in his head thinking because he’s still not sure what was even happening when he talked to Vera.


	2. Cafe Bar

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oz meets up with a hipster vampire.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm pretty much going on autopilot. My writing is going all over the place at the mercy of the wind that blows in my mind somehow.

Classes were over for the day so Vicky was heading to the football field to cheer on Scott and Brian as they practiced. She was a bit early so the field was still empty and so was the bleachers. She picked a spot to sit and took out her notebook as she waited for the football team to start practice.

Earlier today at lunch she finally brought up the topic of prom to her friends even though it was still 6 months away. Brian was mostly right in why she brought it up, she didn’t want to feel like she’s leaving her friends behind during prom (if she did get a date with Scott) but she also brought it up to encourage herself knowing that her friends were also fighting in the battlefield known as love.

Vicky felt a bit bad about pressuring Oz into finding a date for prom but she was also very happy to hear that he was going to try and socialize more. As far as she was aware Oz didn’t have any other friends and while there was a slight possibility that it wasn’t true, he actually admitted that he didn’t have any other friends aside the 3 of them so she was pretty worried about him. Not that he can’t handle himself, she’s well aware that he can.

Thinking about Oz made her think on what he might be doing right now. With classes over for the day he should be out. She took her phone out of her pocket and started to text Oz.

 **Vicky:** Hey Oz! Are you out of class yet?

 **Oz:** Yeah.

 **Vicky:** I’m at the football field waiting for the guys to practice. Wanna come watch?

 **Oz:** No, thanks.

 **Oz:** Tell Brian I said ‘Hi’

 **Vicky:** You going back now?

 **Oz:** Not really. I’m going to take a stroll before heading back.

 **Vicky:** Sure thing! Be careful :3

The sound of the football team started to fill the field. From afar Vicky could spot Scott running around passing a football with the wolfpack as Brian is practically dragging himself out to the field as he yawned.

“BRIAN! WAKE UP AND GET TO PRACTICE!” the frankenstien’s monster yelled at the top of her lungs.

Hearing someone shout out his name he looked towards where the sound came from and saw Vicky yelling and moving wildly from the bleachers, as usual.

“Ooo VICKY! VICKY! I’M PRACTICING TOO!” yelled a Scott.

“YEAH! SCOTT! YOU CAN DO IT!” Vicky yelled back.

Yep, just another day of football practice where Vicky loudly cheers for the team by herself more than the cheerleaders do.

* * *

Oz had been on a stroll around town with no destination in particular. Just walking down the streets, taking in the sights and observing how other monsters interact with each other. It was one of his hobbies to just relax and walked wherever. Still no solid plan on how to get a date for the prom he figured going to a place where couples tend to go to will give him an idea.

After walking a bit more he stumbled upon a café bar that seemed to sell both coffee and alcohol if the sign name is to be trusted. While it doesn’t exactly scream couples place or hook up place Oz thought it might be a good enough place to watch other monsters interacting so he went inside and ordered a drink to be polite. He looked at the menu and pointed to ‘iced coffee’ as he showed the menu to the barista/bartender who just gave him a nod and grunted “3 bucks” before handing off his drink.

With his iced coffee in hand he chose to sit at the edge of the counter facing the door so he could see most of the café from his position. There weren’t many people there even though it was pretty late which would be the time a bar gets crowded. Perhaps it’s hybrid existence had made it into more of a niche place that has more regulars than random customers. Either way Oz can’t really leave until he finishes his drink which was just black coffee with ice so he picked up the glass towards his shoulders where his little phobias drank the coffee through a straw.

With nothing particularly interesting to observe Oz went back to thinking about prom. Vicky had texted him earlier after classes ended and invited him to watch the football team practice. While he didn’t take the invitation this time he sometimes did and just sat beside Vicky as she stood up and cheered for the team practicing. If Vicky was planning on asking Scott out to prom Oz was pretty sure that they would say yes. Even with his lack of social skills he can clearly see that the adorable jock of a werewolf has taken a liking to her.

While Scott was one of the 6 most popular kids at school, he’s also one of the friendliest along with Polly but she’s always drunk of high so Oz isn’t sure what she would be like if she was sober. Is that what he should do? Ask one of the other 5 popular students to prom? It feels like a crazy idea that he shouldn’t dwell on too long since it can’t possibly go well. All of them would probably laugh at him if he did ask them out to prom. A nobody that doesn’t even talk to anyone aside from their 3 friends. A nobody that doesn’t even have many acquaintances. A nobody that-

Before Oz could spiral down his negative thoughts of self-deprecation, he heard the café bar’s door chime indicating that a customer has stepped in. There hasn’t been any customers coming in or out after Oz entered so the sudden noise startled him. Even more surprising was who he saw come in, Liam de Lioncourt the hipster vampire. He sure is bumping into the popular kids in unexpected ways today (excluding Damien).

As Liam walked towards the counter the look on the barista/bartender’s face visibly soured, he must be a regular here. Liam made his order which sounded like one of those annoyingly long and complex named drinks as he placed 10 monster dollars on the counter. His order came and it looked like a regular chocolate smoothie with whipped cream on top, nothing overly fancy or flashy. Liam took the drink and made his way towards a small table in the middle of the store right beneath a decorative light to give it more lighting not far from the counter edge where Oz was sitting, so he could clearly see what Liam was doing.

* * *

Liam was arranging a food pic at one of the regular establishments he frequents for the last 5 minutes. Ever since he stepped into the store a monster has been staring at him. Normally he’d ignore such things as he was used to it being one of the most popular kids at Spooky High, but this was one of the few non-mainstream shops he frequented. None of the regulars here would bat an eye to what he was doing. What was slightly unsettling was he can’t hear anything in the direction of the monster that’s staring at him.

As a vampire who’s lived for a couple of centuries, he had impeccable hearing that in a quiet place like this he could hear someone’s heartbeat if he concentrated enough. Not hearing a heartbeat wasn’t an issue since some monsters like zombies and vampires like himself don’t have beating hearts. What was unsettling was the lack of any sound of unintelligent dribble that usually accompanied unwelcomed stares critiquing what he was doing.

Finally taking the perfect food pic for his insta and choosing the perfect filter 10 minutes later, he finally looked up at the direction of the monster that’s been staring at him and surprisingly they’re still staring. Confused and intrigued he got up and walked towards the strange monster leaving behind his overpriced drink as he always does when he’s done with it.

* * *

_Welp, my life is over. It’s been fun having a normal life, going to school, hanging out with friends, attending class, ect. How did it come to this? Why am I like this?! I should have just stayed in the shadows instead of feeding my phobias fucking iced coffee. Maybe I should have just stayed at school with Vicky and watched football practice, things wouldn’t have ended up like this._

As Liam approached Oz, he was frozen in place having an internal crisis and cursing himself for being such an idiot. He had been unintentionally staring at Liam since they walked into the store but over the past 15 minutes of openly staring, they were actually looking at his drink spaced out thinking about how overpriced food is worth the price or not for mortals that need food to survive. They only realized how creepy they were being when Liam got out of their seat and headed towards him.

Frozen in place still not knowing what to do or what would happen Oz just sat still not moving an inch. Maybe they can pass off as a weird mannequin? No, that wouldn’t work his head turned earlier from when Liam entered. As Liam finally reached the counter edge where Oz was sitting at, he looked annoyed.

“Don’t you know that staring at strangers is rude?” Liam said condescendingly as he crossed his arms and looked down at Oz.

Oz wasn’t sure if he should respond or not. He could still pull off the mute act, but it’s true that he was being rather rude. He could also just melt right this instant and run away but that would also be very rude. Being the polite monster that he is he felt compelled to at least apologize.

 _“So-sorry about that. I didn’t mean to stare.”_ Oz looked down as he muttered an apology to Liam which startled him in more ways than one.

While he didn’t expect the telepathy, what surprised him more was that the strange monster that had been staring at them sounded like they were sincerely sorry. He couldn’t comprehend why on earth would they be staring at him for so long if it wasn’t to critique what he was doing.

“Then why were you staring to begin with?” Liam was genuinely curios.

 _“Well…”_ Oz paused and glanced towards the table Liam was sitting at which still had the overpriced drink on top of it.

“Well?” Liam followed his line of sight still waiting for an answer.

 _“I-I was wondering what kind of food pic you were taking and what it could possibly mean.”_ Oz said sheepishly. It was mostly true except the part where he stopped thinking about that after the first minute of staring. He thought it sounded less stupid than what he was actually thinking at the time.

Oz was still nervously looking at the drink that they couldn’t see Liam’s eyes light up after hearing his answer. Then suddenly Liam placed both his hands on Oz’s shoulders so he was directly facing him.

“Are you telling me that you’re a fellow artist and connoisseur!?” Liam exclaimed excitedly.

 _“Wa-wait! What?”_ Oz was very confused.

“Surely you must be if you were able to tell at a glance the beautiful masterpiece I was crafting, or at the very least have exceptional taste.” Liam said with a smile.

The few other patrons of the café bar turned to look at Liam and Oz as Liam’s rising voice caught their attention. But after realizing it was just Liam they all went back to whatever they were doing. Oz wanted to say that they go to the same school so he knows what Liam was obviously doing, but they refrained from doing so thinking it would just be harder to explain.

Liam pulled up his phone to show Oz who’s still trying to keep up on what’s going on, again.

“This is my latest post. Tell me, what do you think?” Liam said in anticipation.

When Oz looked at the Instagram post it was certainly the drink that they were staring at for a long time, just with a lot of filters and the text ‘Pandora’s Box Lurks Within’. He had no idea how that would correlate with the picture he took. So, he said the only thing he could think of that didn’t make any sense.

 _“It’s certainly… un-earthly.”_ Even as Oz said it, he had no idea what he just said.

“So you do understand! Glad to know you weren’t just some poser.” Liam said as he looked at the post again, admiring it. “Would you mind discussing it further? I’m surrounded by closed minded bigots that just don’t understand my art.”

 _“Umm… well… I don’t mind but…”_ Oz pointed at the drink still left on the table _“Are you just going to leave that there?”_

“Oh that? Yes, it’s of no use to me and I don’t drink anything other than alcohol and blood anyway. It's a waste but not too high a price for art.” Liam explained with a hint of smugness.

Oz can see why the barista/bartender doesn’t like Liam even if he is a regular customer.

 _“Then can I have it?”_ Oz plainly asked.

“Excuse me?”

 _“Can I have the drink? You’re not using it anymore, right?”_ Oz clarified.

“Sure… that’s fine but…” Liam looked down on Oz’s face where his mouth should be “Are you going to drink it?”

 _“Not exactly. I’m going to give it to these guys.”_ Oz pointed at his shoulders and a few phobias popped up waving at Liam _“It’d be a waste to just throw it away so I thought my little friends can have them.”_ Oz’s eye crinkled upwards indicating that he’s probably smiling.

“Then by all means that drink is yours.” Liam said gesturing to the drink.

Oz got up to retrieve the drink while Liam pulled up a counter stool to sit next to Oz for their ‘discussion’. When Oz got back and started to give the drink to his phobias, Liam started to ramble on and on from one topic to another which apparently all relates to the food pic he just posted. Oz simply sat there listening to him. He started to understand the general meaning of what Liam is saying about his post but it still sounded like it made no sense when he added everything up in his head but Oz kept quiet and let Liam ramble on as he only gave small inputs every now and then.

Approximately an hour had past before Liam slowed down. The phobias had finished drinking all of the iced coffee and Liam’s drink. It was getting late and Oz checked the time on his watch.

“What time is it?” Liam asked as he saw Oz glance at his watch.

 _“It’s 11:13PM.”_ Oz answered.

“It’s that late already? I seem to have gone into a lengthy tangent.” Liam said as he pulled up his phone again to check the digital clock.

 _“I should be going now.”_ Oz got up from his seat _“It’s been nice listening to you talk but I’ll be taking my leave now. Thanks for the drink.”_

“The pleasure’s all mine. It’s nice to have a conversation partner that understands my views.”

Mostly sure that Liam is done talking and has pretty much said their parting words Oz began walking towards the entrance.

“Ah, wait!” not even 3 steps on their way Liam called out to Oz.

 _“Yes?”_ Oz looked back wondering what could they possibly want now?

“It just occurred to me that I don’t know your name. I’m Liam de Lioncourt.”

Oz refrained from rolling his eyes. Not that it’s really anyone’s fault but his own that nobody knows or even recognize him outside of his friend group.

 _“I’m Oz.”_ he simply said and continued walking towards the entrance, but before he got out the door he stopped and looked back at Liam _“I also attend Spooky High, see you around.”_ That being said Oz practically ran out of the store so fast before Liam could process what he even said to him.

Liam was left dumbfounded at café bar. What he didn’t realize was that all the times Oz spoke to him, it was only to him. So, to everyone else it looked like he was forcing a one-sided discussion and rambling all by himself. Not that he’d ever find out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like my brain melted writing this chapter. In case you couldn't tell, I find Liam really annoying so it was really hard for me to write.  
> Why did I write about him at all if I find him annoying? Because my mind is weird.


	3. Rowdy Breakfast

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oz tells his friends of the events that happened yesterday.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't expect to write so much about a recap plus morning scene.

It’s almost midnight and 3 monsters were chilling in the living room of their shared apartment watching TV when the sound of a door being slammed shut caught their attention.

 _“Hey guys, I’m back.”_ Oz projected in a rather tired voice as he slowly headed to the living room where his friends were.

“Oz! Welcome back!” Vicky said excitedly “You sound tired, did something happen?”

 _“I guess you could say that.”_ Oz replied as he sat himself down of the sofa next to Brian and leaned on him. Amira and Vicky were sitting in bean bag chairs which were beside the sofa.

“Wanna talk about it?” Brian asked as he looked towards Oz that was resting his head on Brian’s shoulder.

 _“Not really, I’ve had enough of talking for one day. Maybe tomorrow.”_ Oz said still sounding exhausted. He’d love to tell his friends about how he was able to talk with 2 popular monsters today but all the stress and nerves that came with it finally caught up with him so he’d save the tales for another day.

Brian just hummed an agreement and went back to watching the TV. Oz was never really talkative when it didn’t involve things he’s interested in or his hobbies so it was a very typical Oz response. It took a few moments before anyone could register that Oz said something odd, at least odd for him. Amira’s eyes were glued to the TV watching which was airing some sort of game show but she turned to look at Oz when she realized what he said.

“We haven’t really talked much today aside from this morning and lunch. Were you talking with someone else?” Amira asked as the look of realization started to dawn on the other 2 monsters.

“Wait, seriously!? That’s great news! Did you make a new friend? What were you talking about? Were you with them before you came back?” Vicky was so excited she began spit firing questions.

Brian just looked at Oz with his jaw wide open. With everyone looking at him, Oz’s nerves shot up again. He didn’t expect such a big reaction although he probably should have. They all looked at him with expectation but he wasn’t ready to explain what happened today, so he melted away and slithered towards his room through the shadows only shouting _“I’ll tell you guys at breakfast!”_ before he was completely gone.

The living room was silent for a while with only the buzzing that came from the TV after Oz escaped. It wasn’t the first time Oz melted away from a conversation although the questions they were left with made them wonder what could have possibly happened.

“Oh my gosh you guys! Our little Oz is growing up and making friends!” Vicky said with huge smile plastered on her face.

“We still don’t know if that’s what happened.” Brian said as he leaned back on the sofa.

“It couldn’t be too bad if he managed to come in through the from door.” Amira said glancing at the entrance door.

In the past, there had been a couple of times Oz was in a sad or bad mood. On those days he’d come back to the apartment without anybody realizing it, while he just curled up in bed in the room he and Brian shared.

“Welp, can't do anything about it till breakfast anyway.” Amira said nonchalantly as she looked back to the TV still airing the gameshow

“Aww but I wanna know now.” Vicky whined, then glanced at Brian “Could you…”

“No.” Brian immediately said. “He said he’d tell us during breakfast. Just wait until then.”

Back in the comforts of his room (technically his and Brian’s) Oz was laying down on the top bunk not doing anything in particular. He didn’t really need to sleep, being the embodiment of fear and all that. Still, it was just relaxing to lie down and not do anything when his stroll around town turned up more stressful than he expected. And so, he closed his eyes let his mind clear out and empty any thoughts. No more thinking for the night.

* * *

The sound of loud banging made Oz jolt out of their resting state and look towards the door.

“YO OZ! BRIAN WAKE UP!” Amira shouted through the door still banging it.

Oz looked towards the window and sure enough the sun had started to rise, it was morning.

“SHUT UP! IT’S NOT EVEN 7 YET!” Brian yelled back pulling up the blanket over his head to shield the soft morning rays.

“I know! But Vicky’s really excited and won’t calm down! She’s been aggressively making breakfast so get your asses out here!” Amira shouted through the door again but less loud this time and the banging had stopped.

Brian groaned as he reluctantly got up and sat at the edge of his bed rubbing his sleepy eyes. Oz jumped down from the top bunk and waited for him to finally stand up.

 _“So-sorry for causing a fuss.”_ Oz muttered meekly.

Brian slowly got up and grabbed Oz’s left shoulders with his right hand to help him stand up. Finally up, Brian gently squeezed Oz’s shoulders a bit before he let go.

“It’s fine.” Brian said as he let out a yawn. “It’s just too damn early for this.”

As they made it to the dining room, they saw Amira slumped over the table while Vicky was cooking something at the stove. Brian took the seat beside Amira and followed her in slumping over the dining table. Oz took the seat across from Brian as he waited for Vicky to finish cooking breakfast. Looking back at Vicky, she looked like she’s ready and dressed up for the day. Oz himself didn’t look any different than usual since he didn’t change his clothes since yesterday. Amira and Brian both still had their sleeping clothes on which was just any random t-shirt and shorts.

“Oz, can you help me set out the plates?” Vicky asked as she was still cooking at the stove.

 _“Oh, sure!”_ Oz got up from his seat and got the plates from the cupboard to the table.

After everything was finally set up breakfast was ready, but there were still 2 monsters slumped over the table.

“Come on guys! Breakfast is ready.” Vicky said as she tried to shake both of them awake. They just groaned and mumbled something about waking up 5 more minutes.

 _“Guys, Vicky made pancakes with bacon and eggs. If you don’t get up my phobias might gobble them up.”_ Oz said teasingly.

With the threat of their breakfast being eaten both Amira and Brian got up. While Oz was mostly joking, his phobias did gobble up their breakfast once when nobody was watching. Everyone started eating breakfast and Oz fed some to his phobias.

“Soooooo, Oz.” Vicky said with a huge smile on her face. “Who did you talk to?”

 _“Ummm… well… how should I put it?”_ Oz looked down as he thought on how he should explain what happened last night _“I kind of bumped into Liam yesterday and we ended up talking, he ended up talking a lot.”_

“Liam the pompous vampire that’s always ranting about art and shit?” Amira said with a raised eyebrow.

_“The very same.” Oz sighed_

“How on earth did that happen! Was he being rude to you? I can punch him if he was!” Amira snarled.

 _“What?! No, it wasn’t like that!”_ Oz shook his head. _“He was just talking a lot about art stuff which I didn’t really get and many other things but he wasn’t bothering me.”_ Oz didn’t really want to explain that it was his stupidly rude behavior that lead Liam to even speak to him.

“Still, it’s rare that you even talked to anyone at all. Why the sudden change?” Brian said as he shoved some bacon into his mouth.

_“Well, since we’re all looking for prom dates-”_

Oz was interrupted by the sound of Brian suddenly coughing as he choked on the piece of bacon his was eating.

“You alright their buddy?” Amira said as she patted Brian’s back.

“*cough* I’m okay *cough* just swallowed too fast *cough* *cough*” after composing himself, Brian looked at Oz. “Are you saying you’re gonna ask Liam to be your prom date?”

“Wait! REALLY!” Vicky gasped.

“No way, dude!” Amira’s jaw dropped.

Oz tilted his head and raise and eyebrow quite high as he was visibly confused _“No? Why would I?”_

“I mean- That’s- Wh-what were you going to say just now?” Brian stammered.

While it was rare to see Brian seeming flustered Oz just shrugged it off and continued what he was saying _“Right. As I was saying. Since we’re all looking for prom dates, I thought speaking to more monsters would help with that.”_

“What do you mean?”

 _“I can’t find a date if I can’t talk to them… well maybe I could but I don’t think I can pull that off.”_ Oz covered his face with his hands feeling embarrassed thinking about finding a date as a mute.

Vicky suddenly hugged Oz from his left side while he was still covering his face “Aww I’m so proud of you for trying Oz!” she rubbed their cheeks together “I was so worried you can’t talk to anyone new.”

“You’re not his mom, Vick.” Amira snickered

“I’m still proud of him though.” Vicky pouted still hugging Oz.

 _“Th-thanks Vicky. Ca-can you let me go now?”_ Oz stuttered.

“Of course sweety, I’m just so happy!” As she loosened her hug on Oz, Vicky pinched his cheeks before fully letting go. “So, did you speak with anyone else? Aside from the teachers of course.”

 _“Well… I did speak to Vera briefly at the library.”_ Oz said softly.

“WHAT!” Amira slammed both her hands on the table and stood out of her seat as she leaned over to Oz. “You talked to VERA OBERLIN!?”

 _Why is everyone so jumpy today?_ Oz thought to himself. _“Yes. Just briefly though. She seemed pretty busy.”_

“You have got to be kidding me!” Amira’s eyes grew wider hearing his confirmation. “It hasn’t even been a day and the first 2 new monsters you talked to were the super popular ones!?”

 _“I-I guess so.”_ Oz said sheepishly

“I want proof!” Amira shouted. Not that she thinks Oz is lying to her but it really sounds unbelievable.

 _“Ummm… I don’t really have proof but I did get this.”_ Oz reached to his back pocket and pulled out a card then placed it on the table.

Amira snatched the card off the table and inspected it thoroughly. It was one of Vera’s business cards which she only gives out to potential clients and collaborators. While it wasn’t absolute proof he talked to Vera, it’s close enough. Amira sat back down, slumped on the table and placed the card in front of Brian.

“You really did talk to Vera.” Amira’s muffled voice could be heard.

Brian looked at the card then slid it back to Oz “So, what are you gonna do with this?”

 _“Nothing really. She said to only use it if I have any business or legal troubles.”_ Oz took the card back _“I don’t think she’s interested in small crimes and I won’t be getting into any legal troubles anytime soon.”_

“For someone so shy you sure are bold when it comes to crime.” Amira had sat back up and continued eating her breakfast.

 _“I don’t have to talk to people when I steal.”_ Oz plainly stated.

“Alright! Now that Oz is reaching out, we’ll all be getting dates for the prom for sure!” Vicky clapped her hands.

“How did you get that conclusion?” Brian raised a brow.

“I don’t know who you 2 plan to ask but I’m sure you’ll manage. If Oz can talk to Vera and Liam he can absolutely get a date for prom!” Vicky placed a hand on Oz’s shoulder.

 _“I don’t think that’s how it works. I’m not even sure they’ll remember me if we pass each other.”_ Oz looked down at his empty plate.

“Be more confident in yourself Oz.” Vicky gave him a soft smile “Any monster would be lucky to get you as their date!”

Oz wasn’t sure how true that was but he returned her smile with one of his own through his eyes.

* * *

It was still early by the time everyone finished breakfast so they each went to do their own thing before getting ready for school and Oz had dish duty this morning. Amira and Brian went back to their rooms while Vicky went to the living room to watch TV. As Oz washes the dishes and some of his phobias helped out he could hear the sound of the TV broadcasting news, it sounds like there was a bank robbery and not a single monster dollar was left behind.

Finished with the dishes Oz headed back to his room to get ready for the day. When Oz entered the room, he saw Brian dressed up and sitting at the edge of his bed while nodding off. It was a bit surprising since Oz had assumed he went back to sleep. Thinking it odd, Oz pulled up the desk chair to sit in front of Brian.

 _“Hey Brian?”_ Brian blinked hearing Oz’s voice in his mind. _“Is there something going on? You don’t usually get ready until the last minute.”_

“Oh yeah, about that…” Brian trailed off as he rubbed the back of his neck “I just thought ‘why not?’ when I was already wide awake. But then I got sleepy again once I was done.”

 _“Vicky was pretty fussy this morning.”_ Oz giggled _“You can go back to sleep if you want. I’ll wake you up when it’s time to go.”_

“Thanks, I might take you up on that.” Brian lied down on his bed.

 _“Great. I’ll go get changed.”_ Oz stood up and went to the clothes drawer that was across the room _“Not that anyone at school would notice.”_ He sighed.

“Say, Oz?” Brian covered his eyes with his right arm.

 _“Yeah?”_ Oz pulled out identical clothes to what he was wearing out of the drawer.

“Do you know who you’re going to ask to prom yet?”

 _“Of course not. I haven’t even talked to any other students till yesterday, let alone think of someone to date.”_ Oz started to change clothes _“I’m not even sure I’ll have someone in mind by the end of the week. What about you?”_

“Ummm… yeah… I have… someone in mind.” Brian said very slowly.

 _“Who is it? Is it someone I know of? I’ll help you out if I can since I don’t have anyone in mind yet.”_ Oz finished changing and chucked the used clothes into a laundry basket in the corner of the room. _“Brian?”_ Brian didn’t answer. Figuring he might have fallen asleep Oz went into the washroom to check if he was presentable. Despite always hiding from sight he still wanted to look his best for the rare times that someone does spot him.

When Oz got out of the washroom Brian was still in his bed and hasn’t moved. Oz went over to his desk to pack his bag with the books he’ll need for today’s classes.

After a few moments of packing Brian suddenly spoke up. “It’s Liam.”

 _“Excuse me?”_ Oz stopped packing and looked at Brian.

“I said, it’s Liam. That’s who… I wanted to… ask to prom.” Brian’s voice lowered with every pause.

 _“Oh…”_ was all Oz could say when he realized why Brian has been acting kind of weird this morning. _“Ha-have you talked to him? N-not to prom of course I just meant in ge-general.”_

“Not a single word.” Brian said flatly.

Silence fell in the room and Oz tried to busy himself with finishing to pack. It was still silent when Oz finished packing and he wasn’t sure what to say or do. Many negative thoughts swirled in his mind as he cursed himself and swore he’s never going to that accused café bar ever again. Steeling himself to confront the issue, he walked over to Brian and hovered over him to try and see his expression that was covered by his arm.

 _“Are… are you mad at me?”_ Oz said meekly.

“Of course not.” Brian rolled to his right so that he’s facing the wall. “I’m just… frustrated.”

 _“I’m… not really sure what you mean by that.”_ Oz sat at the edge of the bed. _“But if you want to talk about it, I’ll be willing to listen.”_

“Maybe later. I’m actually feeling kind of sleepy now.” Brian closed his eyes and drifted to sleep.

Oz chuckled at the response and didn’t say another word.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Awww the color crew is so precious :3  
> I should really get into writing Damien soon lol


	4. Stage Duel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oz acts during Theater class and buys some stuff from a certain somebody during lunch time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm finally putting Damien in the story!

The group of friends finally arrived at school and were walking down the halls. Everyone had different classes to go to so they separated along the way. Oz had Theater for first period so he went to the student lockers to put his bag in before heading to the Auditorium. When he opened his locker that was usually empty there was a blank manila envelope inside. Out of curiosity he opened the envelope without a second thought. There was 20 monster dollars and a note inside that said “This is for you- Vera”. Oz has no idea why Vera would give him money but who in their right mind would say no to money? So, he pocketed the money and went to the Auditorium.

Oz liked acting. Having a script and pretending to be someone else felt simple and fun. The script tells him what he should do and how he should act while the roles make him someone he’s not. The only downside is that interesting and important roles get the spotlight of a play, being the way that he is Oz doesn’t like the spotlight (both figuratively and literally).

“No, no, NO! YOU’RE FUCKING DOING IT WRONG!”

Someone’s screams echoed throughout the Auditorium. It wasn’t an unusual sound, in fact was actually quite normal. Every single Theater class Oz had with Damien were accompanied by the demon prince’s occasional screams and shouts. The screams were either because he was too into the role he’s playing or he’s cussing someone out for not playing their roles correctly.

When Oz first found out he’d have Theater together with Damien LaVey he was positive that they’d either burn down the stage earlier that year or skip every class to avoid the arts like the plague. Surprisingly neither of those things have happened yet and to top it off Damien was a pretty good actor for all the roles he played even if they were all evil or villain roles. The demon prince does occasionally burn the other classes they’re in together though, like yesterday’s Ambush Finance class.

Oz was putting on the finishing touches on his costume, which is a mustache that he morphs on his face when Damien came backstage and started complaining.

“Fucking retards don’t know how to fucking act! If the script didn’t say they had to win I’d fucking kill them already!” Damien threw their prop sword on the floor, thankfully not breaking it. “I’ll probably just kill them later for being such a sucky actor.” Everyone backstage jumped at the notion.

Damien scans around looking at everyone backstage. “Any of you fuckfaces know how to act!?”

Everybody ran out of the backstage area as if their life depended on it, except for Oz. He was still checking out his mustache in front of a mirror. Being the only monster left in sight, Damien stomped towards Oz and yanked him away from the mirror before they hung over his shoulders.

“Now listen here noob. You’re gonna help me play out a scene.” Damien shoved the script into Oz’s hands. “If you don’t do a good job, I’m gonna stab you later when class is over!”

Startled, shocked, and not knowing what the hell was going on, all Oz could do was nod vigorously to Damien’s demand. Seeing that the monster he ~~threatened~~ chose has agreed to his terms, Damien let Oz go.

“Be on stage in 10 minutes or I’m dragging your ass out there!” Damien picked up the prop sword he dropped and walked out of the backstage area.

After a minute of processing what the hell just happened Oz realized he just agreed to play out a scene with Damien LaVey on stage within the next 9 minutes and facepalmed. Not having any choice in the matter Oz began to read the script that was handed to him. It was a choreographed fight scene with only a few lines. Oz’s role is to play a noble knight that faces off the dark knight on behalf of his prince to save the princess and win.

While Oz did like acting, he had no idea if he was actually any good at it. He’s only played minor mob characters that don’t even have any lines. He could just runaway now that he still has some time, but he didn’t really want to ditch class when it’s not on fire. It was a good opportunity to play a slightly bigger role and see how he fairs. The threat of being stabbed wasn’t really an issue, but it would be a pain to deal with so he’d rather avoid it if he can.

Finished reading and memorizing the script with a minute to spare, Oz went to look for a prop sword inside the prop box. He couldn’t really use the rapier for the scene he had to act out because it would make the fight look stupid. Not to mention he needed an appropriate prop to make the final part look believable. After finally finding the right sword prop for the scene Oz attached it to his belt and walked towards the left stage entrance to make his appearance.

* * *

Damien had been standing at the right side of the stage for his “partner” that should show up at any moment now. His other “partners” today had been very disappointing and couldn’t even act out a simple scene. Not only did they stutter out their lines terribly, once the fight started they would either crumble down after 1 hit or surrendered before he even swung his prop sword. How fucking hard was it to stay on script!?

The monster that Damien had ~~threatened~~ roped into playing the scene finally entered from the left stage. Looking closer, he had a musketeer outfit on with a bushy mustache. It didn’t really fit the role he had to play but it’s better than nothing Damien thought.

“MWAHAHAHA! So, you’ve finally showed yourself prince charming!” Damien pulled out his prop sword and pointed it at the monster “Unfortunately for you, you’ll never get close to the princess unless you can pass me!”

 _“HMPH! Such arrogance coming from a lowly minion of darkness.”_ The monster’s voice spread out to everyone in the Auditorium as they griped their sword handle still at their side. _“The prince has no time to waste for the likes of you. I shall be the one to smite thee!”_ he glared at Damien ready to unsheathe his sword.

“All I’m hearing is that the prince is too much of a coward to do things himself.” A vicious smile appeared on Damien’s face as he tapped the blunt side of his prop sword to his shoulders. “Are you really sure you want to follow the orders of such a coward?”

 _“As if you’re any different.”_ The monster finally unsheathes his prop sword and held it with both hands in a stans that’s prepared to fight. _“Why bother to guard the princess if you have no interest in her?”_

“Enough talk. LET’S FUCKING FIGHT!” (fucking was certainly not in the script)

Damien lunged towards the monster closing their distance and strikes with their prop sword. The monster blocks the strike with their own prop sword. Their swords clashed, if they were actual swords sparks would be flying. They both took a stepped back but the monster was the first to deal the next attack. They tried to stab Damien’s head from the left and right which he dodged and by their third attempt to stab from the left Damien parried the blow.

Damien gave a huge swing towards the monster’s left side in which he blocked the attack and stepped back further creating more distance. The two monsters stared at each other and after a few moments they both charged at each other at full speed until they both stopped. Damien had been stabbed in the stomach and blood began to trickle out. The monster almost got stabbed in the face but only his hat fell down. As the monster took a step back and pulled out the sword that was piercing Damien’s stomach, more blood poured out and he fell face down dramatically.

“You bastard! You’ll never defeat the queen!” Damien scowled still splayed on the ground blood pooling around him.

 _“Perhaps not.”_ The monster bent down to pick up his hat. _“But I am the one that defeated you. Let that sink in as you die in the pool of your own blood.”_ The monster gracefully walked away and disappeared from the right stage.

Everyone in the audience was at awe. They clapped and cheered at the stellar performance and Damien’s death.

“That was fucking METAL!” Damien had gotten up and shouted. Everyone that was cheering went silent realizing that Damien wasn’t actually dead.

* * *

Having preformed something he wasn’t used to, the first thing Oz did after leaving the stage was find the nearest solid wall, leaned the prop sword against that wall and curled into a ball. Oz sat on the floor hugging his knees wondering if he did a good job or not. He had been focused on playing the role that he didn’t hear any of the audience cheering once he left the stage.

“Yo! noob! Where you at!” Damien had burst into the room looking around wildly.

Oz wasn’t sure how to respond, telling Damien telepathically “I’m here.” wouldn’t help much and he wasn’t sure he even wanted to be found. However, the prop sword beside Oz fell to the ground for some reason and the sound alerted Damien on where he was.

“What the hell are you doing down there?” Damien looked down at Oz quizzically.

 _“I-I’m just… taking a break.”_ Oz didn’t look up at Damien and was still curled up in a ball. The huge hat his costume had also blocked the entirety of his head in that position.

Damien plopped down beside Oz on the floor. “Huh, you sound different than when you were on stage.” He turned to Oz but their face is still perfectly covered.

_“Th-this is what I usually sound like.”_

“Well, whatever.” Damien pulled Oz closer like he did earlier but a bit gentler. The huge yellow hat fell due to the lack of space and because of the awkward position Oz was in it just looked like his whole body leaned towards Damien. “Anyway, you were awesome out there!”

 _“I was?”_ Oz lifted his head that had been stuck on his knees and looked back at Damien

“Hell yeah, you were! How come I never saw you act on stage before?”

 _“You probably did and didn’t realize it. I’m very good at blending in.”_ Oz stopped hugging his knees and stretched his legs out. _“I don’t really like standing out.”_

“Not sure how the fuck you can blend in with bright yellow but whatever.” Damien let go of Oz and stood up. “We should totally do another scene together. I’m gonna go look for a script.”

The thought of playing out another scene with Damien brought feelings of excitement and dread. Excitement in playing a role with actual lines, dread from his own critical thinking after the fact, and just more dread in general for acting in front of an audience.

The school bell rang signaling the change of class. Damien never did come back backstage, he probably didn’t find a script that he was looking for or got distracted by something. Oz picked up the magical prop sword and put it back into the prop box before changing and going to his next class.

* * *

Lunchtime has arrived. When Oz entered the cafeteria, he couldn’t find his friends sitting at the same table they usually did. They were scattered at different tables. Vicky was sitting with Scott and Polly, Amira was sitting with Vera and Miranda, and Brian was sitting with Liam and Damien. It was an unusual turn of events to say the least and it might have something to do with everyone looking for prom dates Oz thought to himself.

Oz didn’t really NEED to eat so he didn’t always go to the cafeteria during lunchtime but he never really sat with anyone else outside of his group of friends. It was nerve-wrecking to think of sitting with a stranger during lunch without his friends. He could join one of his friends at the table they chose but he didn’t want to intrude. Should he just skip lunch again today? But he’s already in the cafeteria and he did say he would try and socialize more.

As he took a tray and some food from the lunch lady Oz pondered his options on where to sit. The only tables with spare seats that wasn’t occupied by his friends was a table with the Interdimensional Prince and a table with a cat girl. Not being stupidly curious enough to be near the marriage seeking maniac, Oz walked towards the table with the cat girl hoping she won’t shoo him away.

Getting closer to the table Oz sees that there is an assortment of random items on the table. The cat girl notices Oz coming closer, her ears perk up as a sly smile appeared on her face.

“Hey there stranger. Came to check out my wares?” she beckoned him closer “I got some good shit. Feel free to look around.”

Taking it as a sign it was okay to sit at her table as long as he checked out her items, Oz took a seat at the table and began looking. As Oz looked at the items his phobias sprouted from his arms and began eating the lunch on his tray. When Oz picked up an item to inspect it, the cat girl would explain to him what the item was. There was A Motivational Poster, A Bag of Regular Cocaine, A Blanket with 2 Holes, ect. Basically, a bunch or random shit. Oz has yet to say a single thing during this exchange as picked up any item that draw his interest.

“Not sitting with your friends today?” The cat girl subtly pointed at the direction of the table with Amira, Vera and Miranda.

Surprised by the sudden question Oz pointed at himself and tilted his head.

“Of course I’m talking to you, who else is at this table?” The cat girl scoffed. “Did you guys get into a fight or something?”

 _“N-no, it’s nothing like that.”_ Oz shook his head. _“We’re just… expanding our social circle?”_

“Ooookay…” The cat girl’s eyes squinted finding his words dubious at best. “Are you gonna buy something or not?”

Oz looked back at the assortment of random stuff. He still had the extra money Vera gave him for some reason so he thought he might as well splurge a bit for a fellow classmate… at least he thinks she’s a classmate.

 _“I’ll take this, this and that.”_ Oz pointed at The Blanket, A Floppy Disk, and A Corpse.

“You’re seriously gonna buy all that!?” A look of shock appeared on the cat girl’s face.

 _“Yes?”_ Oz looked down on the items he chose. _“Am I only allowed to buy 1?”_

“Nah, it’s cool. It’s just that first timers never buy more than 1 item in my experience.” The cat girl started calculating the total cost on her phone. “That’ll be $18 in total.”

Oz pulled out exactly $18 from his pockets and handed it to the cat girl.

“It’s a pleasure doing business with you.” She smiled. “By the way, the name’s Valerie Oberlin.”

 _“My name’s Oz.”_ Oz smiled back at Valerie with his eyes and some of his phobias popped up on his shoulder to wave.

Oz proceeded to collect the items he bought from Valerie. The Blanket with 2 Holes for fun and camouflage, The Floppy Disk just because it seems interesting, and The Corpse to add to his corpse collection.

“PREPARE TO DIE!” A shout could be heard from the table where Brian, Liam, and Damien were sitting at.

It seems like The Slayer has crashed at their table. This turn of events has slightly concerned Oz because Brian was sitting there. The Slayer was infamous for going after Liam and Damien so they might just leave Brian alone but it still seems pretty dangerous.

“If you’re worried about your buddy, he should be fine.” Oz looked back at Valerie. “Double-A doesn’t really target monsters she has no interest in.”

 _“But isn’t she still dangerous?”_ Oz raised an eyebrow.

“Can you recall a monster that she killed?” Valerie curled her lips into a W.

Thinking on it, Oz can’t recall any monster students that The Slayer might or might not have killed but he sure can recall a lot of monsters being killed by Damien either on purpose or indirectly through arson and sometimes a little bit of both. Calming down from the thought of his friend being mortally in danger, Oz went back to looking at more random stuff Valerie was selling until the bell rang.

“Welp, better get going now.” Valerie packed all of her stuff into a bag somehow. “See ya later stranger, I’ll be around school if you wanna buy more stuff.”

 _“Bye-bye.”_ Oz waved along with some of his phobias.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I still feel like my writing is all over the place but hopefully I'll get a grasp on it soon.


	5. A Couple of Idiots

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A lot of misunderstandings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote a bit more than I expected so it's a longer chapter than usual.

Valerie along with every other monster in the cafeteria filed out of the cafeteria. Oz placed The Corpse he bought under the table and let it sink into the shadows to keep in the void since it’ll be a hassle to carry around. Perhaps he should buy a black hole bag when he gets the chance but the void works just as well.

Oz was about to leave too but then he sees that Damien was still sitting at the table for some reason, he looked frozen. Getting a closer look Damien was indeed frozen, immobilized to be exact as his eyes darted like crazy. Oz’s best guess would be that somebody chanted The Lord’s Prayer leaving the demon paralyzed as a result.

The cafeteria was empty and it would take some time before a teacher probably realizes what happened to Damien, so being the nice monster that he is Oz decided to help him. Hoping that it would reverse the effects, Oz cited a few demonic chants. The chants seem to take effect immediately.

“Oh, fucking fuck! I can move!” Damien stood up and moved his arms around. “Thanks dude! I thought I was stuck for another hour at least!”

 _“You’re welcome, I guess.”_ Oz just stood there looking at the exit, waiting for a chance to finally leave the cafeteria.

“That fucker douche Liam left me to run off with some rotting zombo!” Damien snarled.

Oz felt conflicted upon hearing his friend being insulted, but Damien practically insults everyone and even his own friends apparently. Suddenly Damien yanked Oz by the collar bringing him closer to his face. The sudden action made Oz shake and tremble in confusion thinking it might have been better if he left Damien alone.

“Did you see where they went?!” Damien spat out the question.

Oz just shook his head since he really didn’t know. After seeing his response Damien still didn’t let go and pulled his face closer.

“Hmmm… have I seen you before? Feels like I’ve also heard you somewhere before.” Damien stared hard at Oz’s face trying to recall something.

Oz’s eyes grew wide like saucers as his shaking stopped and stared at Damien thinking _‘Are you stupid!?’_ but yes, this was Damien, he is pretty stupid.

“Hey! I asked you a god damned question, so you better answer me or I’ll punch your face in the face!” Damien shook Oz by the collar thinking it would actually help him cough out an answer.

Oz let out an audible sigh in their minds as his shocked face turned into a deadpan expression.

 _“We met this morning during Theater.”_ He said monotone.

“Hah? I don’t remember seeing you there!” Damien looked visibly confused.

 _“Would this jog your memory?”_ A mustache appeared on Oz’s face.

“Holy shit! It’s you!” It was Damien’s turn to look wide eye in shock. “I totally didn’t recognize you!”

 _‘Obviously’._ Oz thought to himself. Having served its purpose, Oz withdrew the mustache again turning his face back to normal. It’s probably too late to get to class now, might as well see where this goes. Now that the topic was brought up, he wonders what Damien did for the rest of Theater class since he didn’t come back nor was there any screams.

 _“Did you end up finding a script anyway?”_ Oz was genuinely curious about that, since he wanted to be prepared before Damien dragged him into another impromptu performance.

“What?”

_“A script. You said you were going to look for one.”_

“Oh that!” Damien finally released Oz’s collar and turned away. “I… couldn’t find anything good so I just ditched.”

It’s normal for Damien to ditch in the middle of a class but the way he phrased it sounded a bit odd. Not that Oz would pry, since it’s none of his business and he got the answer he was looking for anyway. Silence filled the room, which Oz wouldn’t really mind if he wasn’t alone in the cafeteria with Damien who’s prone to being loud. Seeing him so quiet in a place that’s usually buzzing with noise felt unsettling.

 _“We-well, I hope you find a good one we can use next time.”_ Oz looked at the floor and rubbed the back of his neck. _“I forgot to mention this earlier b-but… your acting was really cool…”_

A blush creeped up on Damien’s face hearing the compliment. He knew he was a kickass actor but it was rare for anyone to compliment him on his acting skills, especially strangers. The silence continued and Oz grew more and more nervous that he felt like he’d melt away at any moment if nothing happens in order to runaway from this extremely awkward situation. Composing himself from a dazed state of flattery, Damien cleared his throat before finally speaking.

“Obviously, I’m a fucking awesome actor!” Damien puffed up his chest looking proud of himself.

 _“Yeah, I noticed. You always give it your all acting on stage, it’s amazing.”_ Oz cheerfully replied looking at Damien, relived that the awkward silence didn’t last longer.

“You-!” Damien stammered some incomprehensible babbling. “GAAAAAAAAAAH!”

Startled by the sudden outburst, the urge to flee seemed very appealing to Oz. No longer held by moral pleasantries, Oz melted and disappeared from the cafeteria that instant. He materialized outside of the cafeteria exit only to hear the sound a crackling fire behind the door. Not knowing how he somehow triggered Damien, Oz continued to run farther away from the cafeteria.

* * *

 **Oz:** Brian, are you in class?

 **Brian:** Nah, I’m skipping

 **Oz:** Where are you now?

 **Brian:** Bathroom

 **Brian:** Why?

**4 Minutes Later**

**Brian:** Oz?

 **Brian:** Are you there?

**2 Minutes Later**

The bathroom doors slammed open startling Brian who was in front of the sink mirrors. Turning to the door he saw Oz was the one who barged in. He was about to ask what happened but the fearling had glomped (hug tackle) towards him, then buried his face on his chest.

 _“Brian…”_ Oz whined.

Still taken aback by Oz’s sudden arrival, Brian returned the hug and patted his back.

“Did something happen?” Brian asked softly.

Oz slowly looked up at Brian, still holding on to him tightly.

 _“I… I accidentally set the cafeteria on fire…”_ tears threatened to spill from Oz’s round blank eyes.

“What? How?” Brian raised a brow in confusion.

 _“W-well, technically Damien set the cafeteria on fire. B-but it’s because I triggered him somehow… I think…”_ Oz stuttered out.

“Look. Calm down and tell me what happened.” Brian gently brushed Oz’s head hoping it would calm him down.

Oz gave a small nod and slowly let go of Brian. He turned to the sink and washed his face. After settling down Oz began to recount the events that just happened to Brian as they sat on the sink counter.

“So, basically. What you’re telling me is. Damien set the cafeteria on fire?”

_“No! I mean, yes! I mean… I’m not sure anymore…”_

“I don’t know why you helped that asshole out. You should have left him there and went to class, then you wouldn’t be panicking so much.” Brian crossed his arms.

 _“So, it is my fault.”_ Oz sounds dejected.

“Ugh, no. That’s not what I meant!” Brian scratched his head in frustration. “Even if you didn’t help him, Damien sets shit on fire every other day including the cafeteria so there’s no need for you to feel responsible about it.”

_“I guess… that’s true.”_

“It is. Besides, the cafeteria will probably be back to normal tomorrow. It’s happened enough times I wonder what magic they use to fix it.” Brian let out an exasperated sigh.

 _“Still… I wonder. What did I say that triggered him?”_ Oz looked up at the ceiling.

“Who cares. That jackass would get triggered by the sun for no reason.” Brian scoffed. “He didn’t hurt you, did he?”

 _“What!?”_ Oz looked at Brian his eyes widen. _“N-no, he didn’t! And I got out of the room before he exploded so I didn’t get caught up in the fire.”_ Oz shook his head.

“If you say so.” While not quite convinced Brian dropped the issue.

A lull fell on the conversation as Oz gathered his thoughts on the events that happened. The sudden influx of interaction has been overwhelming for Oz. While not entirely unpleasant they were certainly stressful to say the least. Before he let his guard down to allow these interactions to happen in the first place, he didn’t expect that he’d be involved with some of the most popular monsters in school when they were so different from him.

In the years he simply stayed in the shadows observing other monsters he never imagined that he’d actually interact with those who stood out and had made the spotlight turned on them. Oz admired them almost as much as he admired his friends. If his friends were the sun whose warm sunlight shined upon him and showed him the way. The popular monsters were the stars in the night sky, sparkling pretty and out of reach which makes speaking directly to 3 of them quite unprecedented.

“So, did you ambush me in the bathroom just because our resident bad boy burned something when you were close or was there something else?” Brian’s question snapped Oz out of his thoughts.

_“Oh. Well, actually I was wondering if you know why Damien was immobilized in the first place.”_

“Ummm… I-I guess I know how it went down.” Brian turned away.

_“Brian. I know you were sitting with him and Liam when The Slayer crashed the table.”_

“You saw that!?” Brian whipped his head back with a surprised look on his face.

 _“It wasn’t exactly hard to miss. I just didn’t see what happened next.”_ Oz looked directly to Brian’s eyes.

“Fine. I was the one that froze Damien using The Lord’s Prayer so I could help Liam escape and went with him.” Brian grumbled as he covered his face with his hands.

Brian was expecting Oz to complain or scold him since his actions were what lead to him bumping into Damien in the first place. But after a few seconds of silence he could hear the sound of a soft chuckle in his mind. Removing his hand from his face, Brian looked back at Oz.

 _“Hmmm… so that’s how it happened.”_ Oz’s eyes crinkled upwards. _“Did you get some good bonding time with Liam?”_ He said in a teasing voice.

“You’re starting to sound like Vicky and Amira.” Brian sigh.

 _“Maybe they are starting to rub off on me.”_ Oz tried sounding coy.

* * *

**Earlier That Day**

Damien was giddy at the prospect of acting out another cool scene with the shadow monster he just met. He hadn’t expected much since every time he dragged a random monster to act with him, they always turned out to be huge disappointments. But not only did the shadow monster exceeded Damien’s expectations, he also took his breath away both literally and figuratively when he struck that final blow.

He has fun acting with his friends but none of them really take acting seriously. When the shadow monster was so in character it was like nothing he’s ever seen before on stage for a school play. Not only did he say his lines perfectly but he also moved flawlessly according to the script. Nothing so fake felt so real to be fake before and Damien wanted to feel that way again. It kind of shocked him to hear how soft spoken and meek the shadow monster’s voice sounded off stage, but that just meant he was an even greater actor than he thought he was.

Damien finally got into the script room. It was tiny storage room not too far from the Auditorium filled with a bunch of random scripts to act out. Damien started rummaging and skimming random scripts he picked up here and there. None of the ones he picked up seemed interesting and with each lame script he tossed the more his irritation grew. A few minutes of that going on, Damien reached his boiling point then burned the whole room down along with his costume. Luckily for everyone else the fire didn’t spread.

* * *

**Present Time**

It was Mad Science class and that meant doing experiments in the chemistry lab. Incidentally it’s also a class that Damien and Oz shared that day. Damien often skipped the class and the few times that he did attend, he set fire on all the highly flammable liquid which basically turned into arson. Oz was hoping that Damien skipped again today because of how awkward it would be to see him again after the cafeteria arson.

Unfortunately for Oz, Damien is attending class for god knows what reason after he set the cafeteria on fire. The stress and nervousness that had left Oz after talking with Brian are now back mentally straining him. He still has a chance to avoid Damien if he somehow forgot him again which would be a bit disheartening but overall less stressful.

“Alright kids. Today we’ll be starting to do team projects. Please pick a lab partner to work in pairs.”

A sudden loud bang echoed though out the room. It was the sound of Oz face-planting on the table out of frustration. Out of all the days to be paired up it just had to be today. Everyone ignored him and started to pair up with other students. Face still plastered on the table he heard someone sitting on his right side.

“Yo! You still alive?”

The voice was familiar. Obviously, it was Damien but Oz didn’t want to lift his head to confirm it. The thought of melting right here, right now crossed his mind just to escape this whole situation. Oz had no idea what Damien was thinking or what he thought about him. Why did he even sit next to him? Did he want to be lab partners? Didn’t he just make Damien so mad earlier that he burned down the whole cafeteria out of nowhere?

“Okay, now that everyone is paired up your assignment is to make fireworks in a bottle. As long as you can make it spark for at least 10 seconds your group will get an A”

After hearing the teacher’s instructions, all the pairs start to work on their assignment. All the pairs except one. Oz was still slumped on the table and hasn’t moved an inch and Damien was just sitting next to him. Some of the other students glanced at them wondering what was going on and why Damien hasn’t reached for the nearest cabinet filled with flammable liquid to set the place on fire.

Damien didn’t really plan on going to class today but Principal Giant Spider said he wouldn’t get detention if he attended his last class without burning it down. He planned to burn it down. But then he saw a certain shadow monster sitting at the back of the class when he heard a loud bang, so his plans have changed.

Damien wasn’t really sure on what he wanted to do. He kind of went berserk at the cafeteria without meaning to and at some point the shadow monster was already gone before he realized it. He was certain that the boy was going to run away at the first sight of him but to his surprise nothing is really happening. Like nothing at all. He’s clearly ignoring Damien for some reason.

“Hey are you asleep?” Damien lightly tapped the shadow monster’s shoulder.

Some tiny blobs are popping out of his back. The tiny blobs are looking at Damien with a disapproving look and shaking their heads. Damien has no idea what that means. Are they telling him to stop bothering him? Or are they saying he’s not actually asleep? What even are those things?

Oz still slump on the table is wondering what he should do. Should he feign ignorance and pretend to sleep? He didn’t really want to stay in this position for too long. Damien doesn’t sound mad so maybe he doesn’t hate him? Or is he luring him into a false sense of security and once he get’s up he’ll get punched in the face… that’s way too elaborate for Damien so probably no.

Having made up his mind Oz suddenly sat up straight and pinched the bridge of his nose out of frustration.

“Oh, so you’re awake.” Damien said lazily as he rests his chin on his hand leaning on the table.

Still not in any state of mind to talk to Damien, Oz briefly looked at him before swiftly getting up and went to get whatever supplies he needed for the assignment. Damien wasn’t sure what was going on, nobody really did. Damien thought the shadow monster was about to run out on him after ignoring him for so long. But just before he started to feel irritated to the point of chasing the boy down, the shadow monster had come back to his seat with a bunch of stuff.

Oz was setting up a bunch of beakers and 3 Bunsen burners. Then he started to pour some sort of colorful liquid into the beakers. Damien just watched not knowing what to do. He wasn’t even sure what he wanted to say which is why he hasn’t said much. Finished setting everything up Oz suddenly pulled on Damien’s right wrist and put something at the palm of his hands. Surprised by the sudden action Damien didn’t resist and was slightly flustered.

Looked down to see what the shadow monster put in his palm, it was a spark lighter. Damien looked back at the shadow monster not sure on why he gave him a spark lighter. The shadow monster pointed at the Bunsen burners that were already set up on the table.

“You want me to light those up with this?” Damien holds up the spark lighter.

The shadow monster gave a nod.

“I can just use my matches to-“ Damien was about to pull out his matches but the shadow monster creased his brows and shook his head disapprovingly “Fine, we’ll do it your way.”

Damien lit up the Bunsen burners (begrudgingly) using the spark lighter, then Oz adjusted the heat before continuing the experiment. Some of the students around them were shocked at how obedient Damien was behaving and he hasn’t shouted even once. A few more minutes of Oz mixing and stirring things up he finally finished then raised his hand to call over the teacher.

“You’re already done!?” Damien looked at the shadow monster and he have a nod in response. “Wow, that was fast!”

The teacher reached their table and placed an empty bottle near Oz. Oz opened the bottle and dripped a single drop of whatever he was making into the bottle then close it back. The teacher picked up the bottle and looked at it closely. The liquid drop dissipated within the bottle and sparks that looked like orange fireworks started to explode within the bottle. After 20 seconds the exploding sparks of fireworks finally stopped.

“Excellent work you two! Mr. Oz and Mr. LaVay you both get A+ for your assignment!”

“Well, I didn’t actually-OW!” The shadow monster stomped on Damien’s foot and glared at him.

“What was that Mr. LaVay?”

“N-nothing. I guess we’ll be going now.” Damien briskly walked out of the lab.

Oz packed his bag with stuff and followed suit. After they reached a pretty empty hallway Damien stopped in his tracks and glared back at Oz.

* * *

“What the fuck was that!?” Damien yelled at Oz.

Oz was gripping the straps of his back pack and just tilted his head.

“You know what I’m talking about! I was about to say I didn’t help with the damn project but you just had to go and stomp on my feet!” Damien stomped his foot to emphasize his point.

Oz just shrugged.

“WHY THE FUCK AREN’T YOU TALKING!?” Damien shoved a finger on Oz’s chest.

Oz tapped his mouthless face with a finger indicating he has no mouth.

“I know you don’t have a mouth dipshit! I’m asking why you’re not talking to me!?” Damien started to scratch his hair in frustration.

Oz really didn’t know how to answer that. He couldn’t really say that he’s afraid that something he says will trigger Damien like a ticking time bomb with the possibility of him literally exploding. So, he just stayed silent. A few more seconds were filled with silence until Damien couldn’t take it anymore.

“GAAAAAH! You really want me to say it! You want me to spell it out for you!?” Damien held on Oz’s collar with both his hands.

Oz raised an eyebrow high having no idea what Damien is talking about.

“Look…I’m…I’m so-sorry, okay?” Damien faced away from Oz feeling the heat rise to his cheeks.

 _“WHAT!?”_ Oz yelled unintentionally in Damien’s mind due to shock.

The demon let go of Oz’s collar and staggered back from the sudden shock to his brain.

“Ow! What was that for!? I said I was sorry!” Damien clutched his head.

 _“What do you mean you’re sorry?”_ Oz asked more softly realizing the damage he delt from his outburst.

“Sorry for…y’know…” Damien rubbed the back of his neck. “Sorry for blowing up in your face so suddenly without warning.”

It took a while for Oz to process what Damien is saying and it sounds like he was sorry for blowing up in the cafeteria earlier.

 _“Does that mean you’re not mad at me?”_ Oz tried to get within Damien’s line of sight to read his expression.

“Why the fuck would I be mad at you?” Damien turned to look back at Oz but his face was unexpectedly close so he took a step back.

_“I mean… as you put it ‘you blew up in my face.’ How was I supposed to take it?”_

“That’s- I wasn’t- You weren’t-“ Not knowing how to explain himself Damien was on the verge of another meltdown.

 _“Alright! Alright! I get it!”_ Oz covered Damien’s mouth with his right hand. _“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to. Just please don’t blow up again.”_

After a while Damien gave a small nod and Oz stopped covering his mouth.

“So, does that mean you forgive me?”

_“I’m not sure how that’s supposed to work when I wasn’t even mad at you to begin with.”_

“BULLSHIT! If you weren’t mad then what was with that silent treatment shit!”

_“Believe it or not that’s how I usually was. But no, I wasn’t mad.”_

“Then what was it?”

_“I’ll tell you if you tell me why you blew up.”_

“That’s not fair!”

_“Take it or leave it.”_

“Fine! I’ll drop it!” Damien huffed and crossed his arms. “I’m seriously sorry though.”

Oz knew very well how rare it is for Damien to sincerely apologize for anything. He vaguely recalls a few times Damien apologized to others sarcastically. He doesn’t know why it’s even happening but Oz felt happy.

_“Apology accepted. But seriously, try not to explode so suddenly out of nowhere.”_

“Yeah, whatever…”

Damien started to walk his way out of the building and Oz followed beside him since they’re going the same way.

“You never did answer my first question.”

_“Which question was that?”_

“Why you stopped me from telling the teacher I didn’t help with the project.”

_“Oh, that. It’s just a hassle. You’re getting an easy A+ so why fuss about it?”_

“I mean, yeah. But I didn’t help at all. I at least write the stuff myself when I copy homework.”

Oz giggled at Damien’s rebuttal. _“You technically did help out a bit by lighting up the Bunsen burners so that counts. If you’re that against it just bring it up with the teacher next week…that is if you remember.”_

It’s not that Damien was against getting easy grades but he felt like he owed the shadow monster a lot. He also felt bad for possibly almost killing him back in the cafeteria by accident. Damien probably would have snapped back at the cheeky remark if he wasn’t feeling bad and will probably forget like they said.

They’re finally out of the school building. Oz was planning to go to the football field to accompany Vicky cheering for Scott. With everyone sitting at different tables during lunch there will be less times he can meet his friends during school hours and the thought made him feel a bit lonely.

 _“Well, I’m going that way. See ya around.”_ Oz was about to walk off towards to football field.

“Hey, wait!” Damien called out

 _“Yes?”_ Oz looked back at Damien

“L-let’s exchange numbers!” Damien took out his phone.

 _“Ummm…”_ Oz only had 3 contact numbers on his phone and hasn’t added anyone else so the request caught him off guard.

“Do you not have a phone?”

 _“No, I have one. It’s just… I didn’t expect that.”_ Oz pulled out his phone _“Sure, let’s exchange numbers!”_

The two proceeded to exchange numbers.

“What should I call you?”

_“My name is Oz.”_

“Isn’t that your family name?”

_“No, it’s just Oz.”_

“Well, alright then. You can put mine as Damien LaVey.”

_“Sure.”_

Once they were done they went their separate ways.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My mind was as confused as Oz writing this chapter. A puddle of chaos.  
> If you're curios to see where this story goes I'd like to know too since I have no idea where I'm stirring this ship lol


	6. Oz is being hunted?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Damien is being a tsundere and nobody knows why, especially Damien.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got writers block in the middle of writing this.

It was late at night. Damien is lying in his queen-sized bed staring at his phone. There was an empty text message screen displayed with the name **Shadow Noob Oz** at the top. The demon prince had been staring at his phone since he got home, after burning down a convenience store because they didn’t have any of his favorite super spicy BBQ flavored chips in stock.

It would definitely be weird to send him a text when I just got his number. He probably already went to asleep anyway. He looked like the type of nerd that goes to bed early and wake up just as early in the morning. How the fuck did I not see him before today? He wears a freaking bright yellow cardigan and his stage costume looked just as colorfully bright!

What would I even text him about? All I know about him is that he’s a kickass actor and really smart. Oh shit! I don’t even know if we have any of the same class tomorrow! How the fuck am I supposed to know!? I didn’t even know we had the same class today! There’s no way I’m going to every class just to find out. Should I just ask him? This is the kind of situation texting was made for! He’d probably know, right? He even knew what a badass actor I am! …

Damien’s face blushed at the thought. After shaking his head to compose himself he started to type on his phone.

Yeah, I’ll just ask him. I-it not like I wanna see him or anything! It’ll just be cool to know so I can copy his homework and shit. He wouldn’t mind, right? Would he even give a reply? Surely he wouldn’t ignore my text unless he was lying about not being mad. If he doesn’t reply before the first period, I’m gonna hunt him down and beat him up!

 **Damien:** Hey noob

 **Damien:** Do we share any classes tomorrow?

 **Shadow Noob Oz:** No.

Surprised by the quick reply, Damien dropped his phone and it landed on his face. He was certain that Oz was asleep so the instant reply startled him.

 **Damien:** You’re still awake!?

 **Shadow Noob Oz:** Yes, obviously.

 **Shadow Noob Oz:** I’m in the middle of something now. So, if you have any more questions better spit it out now. I’d like to get back to it without being constantly interrupted.

The text sounds pretty cranky. I wonder what he’s doing. Probably shouldn’t ask or he won’t tell me what I want.

 **Damien:** Tell me what classes we share and I’ll get out of your hair.

 **Shadow Noob Oz:** Monday: Ambush Finance 3rd period. Tuesday: Theater 1st period, Mad Science 4th period. Thursday: PE 2nd period. That’s all. Goodnight.

Huh, there really isn’t much. Guess I won’t be seeing him tomorrow unless he gets lunch. Does he even eat? Maybe his mouth is hidden just like dad. He was in the cafeteria to help me get un-paralyzed thanks to that zombie dick that escaped with Liam. Why do I even want to hang out with that loser? I doubt he’d even be down for doing crimes and he won’t even ditch a single class… wait, he wasn’t in class yesterday! … Oh, right. I set that class on fire.

* * *

At the color crew’s apartment, the 4 friends were watching movies together in the living room. The credits were rolling as they just finished watching Two Lights. Oz was sitting on the left bean bag chair, Brian and Vicky were on the sofa, and Amira was on the right bean bag chair.

“Hey Oz! Who were you texting earlier?” Amira excitedly leaned forward on her bean bag chair.

“Oh yeah! Did you get a new friend or better yet a date!?” Vicky added.

 _“How could I possibly get a date that fast!”_ Oz protested.

“I kid, I kid. So, who was it?” Vicky said playfully.

 _“Right… It was just Damien.”_ Oz sighed.

A look of shock appeared on everyone’s faces.

“Wait, what!? How did that jerk get your number!?” Brian spat out. “More importantly why did he even text you this late!?”

 _“Well, things kind of happened and we ended up exchanging numbers.”_ Oz leaned back sinking into the bean bag chair. _“It wasn’t really important. He just asked what classes we had together.”_

“How the hell did that happen? Didn’t you say he was mad at you or something so he set the cafeteria on fire?” Brian sent a questioning glance towards Oz.

“The cafeteria was on fire?” Amira raised a brow.

 _“It happened after lunch. Apparently, it was just Damien being Damien.”_ Recalling everything that happened it still hasn’t sunk in yet that Damien of all people would apologize to Oz. Not wanting retell what happened during Mad Science class, Oz tried to bring up another topic. _“S-speaking of lunch. How was lunch for you guys? I was surprised to see everyone at different tables.”_

“Oh, sorry about that Oz. Knowing that you’ve started to branch out we kind of just went with it thinking you’ll be fine.” Vicky looked apologetic.

 _“It’s fine. You guys don’t have to hold back on my account. I’d feel bad if you did.”_ Oz straighten himself on the bean bag chain after sinking too much.

“Well, we probably should have given you a heads up.” Vicky leaned back on the sofa. “Did you actually get any lunch? I don’t think I saw you in the cafeteria.”

 _“Yeah, everybody seemed preoccupied and I didn’t want to intrude.”_ Oz chuckled _“I sat with Valerie while she showed me her wares.”_

“Cool! Val is great. I buy some stuff from her sometimes.” Vicky beamed. “She has some of the weirdest things but also a lot of cool stuff.”

Oz nodded thinking of all the random stuff Valerie had displayed out on the table.

“I had a great time during lunch with Scott and Polly! They said that they’re thinking of making me a member of the Prank Masterz.” Vicky said excitedly. “What about you Amira, how was your lunch? I saw you sat with Vera and Miranda.”

“It was… okay I guess.” Amira said sheepishly. “Miranda was folding a bunch of napkins and explaining about them so I had to stop her from talking our ears off.”

“Going after the queen, huh? That’s gotta be a tough challenge.” Brian said teasingly

“Sh-shut up! I saw you run out of the cafeteria with bat boy! What were you doing for the rest of lunch?” Amira stammered and pointed a finger at Brian.

“Th-that’s none of your business!” Brian snapped back.

 _“G-guys, let’s calm down.”_ Oz motioned his hands up and down. _“L-let’s just watch the next movie. The credits are done rolling.”_

Everyone turned to look at the TV and indeed the credits were done rolling.

“Yeah! Let’s continue with the sequel, Two Lights New Sun!” Vicky took the remote and pressed buttons to set up the next movie.

Not wanting to talk more about how their lunch went, Brian and Amira both just hummed out an agreement and continued to watch the movie in silence. Oz found it rather amusing how flustered his friends can get when the subject of their crushes was brought up. He wondered if he’d react the same way if he had someone he was interested in, he probably would with how shy he is in general.

2 movies later everyone except Oz was had fallen asleep in the living room. Oz got up to get some blankets and draped them on his sleeping friends. He sat back down on the bean bag chair and pulled out his phone to check on it.

_Hmmm… I guess Damien didn’t have anything else to ask. I wonder why he asked about our class schedule. It’s been a really weird day. If I get what he said during his apology, the reason why he partnered up with me was so he could say sorry. But since it’s Damien he couldn’t just outright say it. With me not saying anything, he thought I was mad at him so he got frustrated and lashed out before actually apologizing. That’s… kind of cute._

_But why did he bother to apologize? We haven’t even talked before today. Maybe he was just in a polite mood, polite by Damien standards. I told him we won’t be having any classes together today so I probably won’t see him at school. I wonder if I should get lunch today. Hmmm… I’ll skip it. Socializing is exhausting._

Having made up his mind, Oz pocketed his phone and took the TV remote to start up another movie. Seeing all his friends sleeping soundly together made him feel as sense of warm fuzzy feelings. There were times he wonders if he’s just a burden to them and they’re only hanging out with him because of how useful his powers are. By now he knew it wasn’t the case but the thoughts of self-doubt do come from time to time. Not wanting to spiral down those negative thoughts, Oz went back to watching movies until the break of Dawn.

* * *

It was another day at Spooky High. Amira headed towards the bathrooms when classes were about to start. On her way there she saw Damien heading the same way, which is pretty normal since many monsters that skip class hang out in the bathroom for some reason. She crossed paths with the demon prince fairly often and even get into fights (competitions) occasionally during some parties Polly hosted. They weren’t exactly friends but she wouldn’t call them strangers either.

Seeing Damien reminded her that he texted Oz last night for god knows what reason. Her first thoughts were that he was threatening Oz but the fearling didn’t seem distressed so she erased that possibility. Brian had told them that morning during breakfast what happened after lunch with Oz but everything just sounds more confusing.

When Amira entered the Bathroom Damien and Vera were having some sort of conversation. Being a nosy bitch, she slinked up closer to them to hear what they were saying.

“C’mon! You seriously got nothing!?” Damien looked frustrated.

“Unfortunately, I don’t” Vera stated bluntly.

“But you got blackmail on almost everybody!” Damien tossed his hands up in an exaggerated manner.

“Exactly Damien.” Vera twirled a finger on one of her snakes “ALMOST everybody, meaning some still slip through the cracks.”

It sounds like Damien is trying to buy some info from Vera but she doesn’t have the info he wants. After spouting a few more complaints at Vera, Damien walked pass Amira and stormed out of the bathroom. An exasperated sigh fell from Vera’s lips and she turned towards Amira.

“Hey Amira. As you probably heard the end of our conversation, I can cut this short. Damien wants information on a certain student which I don’t have.” Vera crossed her arms.

The fire djinn had been hanging around her a lot more recently, so casually addressing her has become a common thing. Vera was certain Amira has some sort of ulterior motives for getting closer to her just as most monsters did but as long as she doesn’t hinder any of her business, she’ll let it slide.

“That’s odd. Damien would usually just grab someone and threaten to beat them up if he wanted to know something… then still beat them up afterwards.”

“True, that sounds more like Damien.” Vera chuckled. “I’m not sure on the details but it’s certainly a great business opportunity and you’re going to help me. You wouldn’t mind, right?” Vera put on a seductively vicious smile that made Amira’s heart skip a beat.

“Sure thing! Not sure how I can help, but I’m in!” Amira clenched a fist in front of her chest showing her determination.

“Glad to hear we’re on the same page.” Vera pulled up her phone. “I’ll get in touch with my contacts to see if they find anything. You go as ask around to find any information you can get. Damien didn’t give me a name but he described them as a shadow monster that wears a yellow cardigan, I believe their name is Oz. If you find anything contact me immediately.” Vera handed a business card to Amira while still looking at her phone and walked away.

Amira’s mind went blank. She had mindlessly taken the business card in her hand and stared at it when Vera exited the bathroom. She obviously knew Oz since he was her friend and roommate. Should she tell Vera? She had mindlessly agreed to help thinking there was no way her friends were involved. If Vera found out she held back information from her who knows what will happen. Forget about going to prom with her! She’ll be lucky if she lives through this.

**_Amira created group “Crisis”_ **

**_Brian and Vicky added to group_ **

**Vicky:** Hye gurl

 **Vicky:** *hey

 **Vicky:** Why the sudden group chat?

 **Vicky:** Did something happen?

 **Brian:** Why didn’t you add Oz?

 **Vicky:** Amira, you there?

 **Amira:** BAD NEWS GUYS

 **Amira:** I MESSED UP

 **Amira:** OZ IS BEING HUNTED DOWN!!!!

 **Brian:** WTF

 **Vicky:** WUT!?

 **Amira:** ARGH I CAN’T EXPLAIN THROUGH CHAT

 **Amira:** I’M FREAKING OUT HERE

 **Vicky:** Let’s meet up after first period. I can’t really get out now.

 **Brian:** Where?

 **Vicky:** Under the bleachers should be empty

 **Vicky:** Go there and wait for us Amira

 **Brian:** omw now

 **Amira:** HURRRY BRIAN!

* * *

Brian hurried towards to bleachers after the sudden group chat. Amira seemed so distress she didn’t turn caps lock off and then there was the bit about Oz being hunted down. Their shadowy friend had only started talking to other monsters 2 days ago. Surely, he couldn’t have painted a target on his back when he tries to avoid conflict the most out of all of them.

When Brian got under the bleachers, he saw Amira pacing back and forth looking distraught. Once Amira noticed that Brian had arrived, she rushed up to him, grab the side of his arms and started shaking him.

“What should I do!? Vera’s gonna kill me or even worse hate me if I don’t tell her anything! If I don’t act fast, she’ll probably find out I hid things from her! But if I tell her then Oz might be in danger! Well, he can’t really die but what if he disappears from hiding and we’ll never get to see him again!? He’s already so reclusive as he is, he might just stay in the shadows if something bad happens!”

“Ca-alm down Am-mira. I ca-an’t tell wha-at you’re say-ing.” Hearing Brian’s wonky voice Amira stopped shaking him. “Okay, why don’t you start from the beginning and tell me what happened.”

Brian gestured to the grass suggesting that they sit down while she talks. Amira gave a small nod and sat down on the grass with Brian. She told him what happened earlier in the bathroom and how she blindly agreed to help Vera find info on Oz.

“That sounds pretty bad.” Brian pinched the bridge of his nose.

“What am I supposed to do now? I got Vera’s number and I can’t even feel happy about it!” Amira fell back on the grass and scratched her head. It’s a wonder why the grass isn’t burning.

“All of this is starting to give me a headache. Does Oz know?” Brian looked down at Amira that was still lying down on the grass.

“I don’t think so. I told you guys right away when I made that group chat. Do you think we should tell him?” Amira had stopped scratching her head and flopped her arms to her sides.

“I’m not sure. He’s bound to panic thinking of the worst-case scenarios if we tell him right now. We should make a game plan when Vicky gets here.” Brian laid down on the grass.

“Yeah, she can probably think of something. At least I hope she does, otherwise I’m boned.” Amira sighed.

As they waited for their Frankenstein’s monster friend under the bleachers, their shadowy friend was having an uneventful and boring class session sitting at the protagonist seat by the window of the classroom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm wondering on how to progress the timeline. I made 6 months "the deadline" hehehe, but I've somehow made everything progress daily. I'll probably keep it up until I find the perfect timing to jump-cut a few weeks away.


	7. Stealth Mode Off

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vera is extremely curious about Oz

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter felt hard to write. Probably because I'm putting in more characters in the mix and it somehow felt like reading a Rune Factory map to see where everyone was located at what time lol

Vera had spent the first half of the school day contacting people working for her (some through blackmail) expecting someone to know at least a bit more on Oz. It was rare for Damien to come to her with business in mind unless it involved doing crimes together. He’d been her partner in crime for various occasions and in those cases, he’s never been one to care for details or even a plan.

While she is curious to know why Damien even wants this information, she’s frustrated by the fact she has yet to obtain any new information regarding Oz. Incidentally she was already looking into the shadow monster before Damien asked her about it even if it wasn’t in her priority list. Now that it has become a priority, she’s become irritated that all she got was basically nothing.

The only solid info she got was which school locker belonged to Oz. It was mostly a process of elimination since Vera already has a list of which lockers belonged to who in the school. Vera had slipped in a thank you note (money) in his locker the other day and checked (broke into) the locker earlier but it was completely empty. There wasn’t a single trace or clue inside of it being used. She wondered if it was just an unoccupied locker and he lost 20 bucks for nothing but she can’t even be sure of that.

All of Vera’s sources came out empty and the ones that did report back with something only states that he doesn’t talk to anyone which doesn’t help her at all. When she asked them what class they saw them in none of the idiots could seem to remember, which just makes it all the more baffling. Vera wasn’t really impatient unlike a certain demon prince but it felt like she was going on a wild goose chase.

The most drastic options Vera’s come up with is either to break into Principal Giant Spider’s office to access the student records or kidnap Oz to interrogate him. The latter would be easier if she did a stake-out at Oz’s locker to snatch him up, assuming he even uses that locker. The former would be harder to do but it’s more doable unless she somehow finds Oz before it comes to that. She won’t act on these plans right away, but it’s good to have a backup.

Recalling her encounter with Oz, he really didn’t seem to stand out as an individual but he should stand out visually with that brightly yellow cardigan. She doesn’t recall ever seeing him before in class. Which is unfortunate for her because they have the same class during second period if she bothered to go instead of searching for info on Oz lol.

 **Amira Rashid:** Hi Vera, we need to talk. I got some info.

Vera’s eyes grew wide reading the message. She had off-handedly enlisted the help of the djinn without much thought. The more pawns the better. Vera didn’t expect anything to come of it when she couldn’t get a peep of useful information from her regular sources. Although she didn’t want to get her hopes up in case it was just another false alarm.

 **Vera:** And what info did you find?

 **Amira Rashid:** It’s better if I tell you in person.

 **Vera:** You better not be wasting my time.

 **Amira Rashid:** Don’t worry. I’m certain I have more info on this guy than any other student in school.

 **Vera:** Very well. Where are you?

 **Amira Rashid:** I’m under the bleachers. See you soon.

* * *

Under the bleachers, a djinn, a zombie, and a frankenstein’s monster were gathered and sitting on the grass.

“How is it Vick? What did she say?” Amira looked nervously at Vicky.

“Don’t worry! It seems like she’s heading here now so me and Brian should hide.” Vicky gave a thumbs up and returned Amira’s phone.

“WHAT!? We’re doing this now!? I thought we were gonna wait a bit!” Amira snatched her phone back and scrolled the messages.

“We already discussed this. The faster we address the problem the less likely it is to be an even bigger problem later on.” Vicky stood up then placed her hands on her hips. “We’ll back you up if it looks like things are going badly.”

“I don’t think I’m ready for this! Couldn’t we do this after school or something?” Amira asked pleadingly.

“The plan is already in motion. Vera is already heading over and if you ditch, she’s be super pissed at you.”

“C’mon you’ll be fine.” Brian stood up and pulled Amira up along with him. “Just try to not look so nervous when talking to her.”

“How can I NOT be nervous! I’m saying NO to Vera Oberlin!”

“You’re not exactly no to her, you’re just not going to give her details that’s against your interests. It’s unlikely that she’ll find anything worth mentioning but with Oz putting himself out there, we don’t know how long that’ll last so this is the safest bet.” Vicky explained.

“I guess so…”

“Right, let’s go hide now Vick.” Brian pointed away with his thumb.

“Oh right! We better get going.” Vicky started to sprint of while dragging Brian by the arm. “You got this girl! Just stand your ground!”

Both Vicky and Brian hid a bit far away from where Amira was standing but still close enough to have a clear view of her. Amira paced back and forth again while waiting for Vera to show up. A few minutes later Vera finally arrived.

“I hope you actually have some info, my sources are coming up empty and they usually get something even on lowly nobodies.” Vera rolled her eyes.

Hearing Vera’s complaints was somewhat of a relief. She doesn’t have anything on Oz so any bit of information Amira gives is better than nothing.

“Yeah… about that. Was there anything specific you wanted to know?” Amira inquired.

“Nothing in particular. Any information at all would be good but for some reason nobody can even recall seeing him.” Vera waved her hand dismissively.

“Okay, so here’s the thing.” Amira took a deep breath. “Oz is actually a buddy of mine.”

“You’re… friends with him?” Vera raised a brow.

“Yeah, I couldn’t tell you earlier since you sort of went off before I could say anything.” It was mostly an excuse but it’s not entirely untrue.

“And how well exactly do you know him?” Vera’s eyes narrowed.

“We’ve been friends ever since I attended Spooky High and we’re roommates. So, I’d like to think I know him pretty well.”

“Hmmm…” Vera cupped her chin and seemed to be deep in thought.

There were a few reactions Amira and her friends expected Vera to have once she told the gorgon that she actually knew Oz, the target of her investigation. Being angry, being very angry, demanded answers, and asking a lot of questions. Yet, Vera was staying silent and it made Amira even more nervous than she already was.

Vera was very perplexed. She wasn’t super close to Amira or anything but she knew her well enough. She knew where Amira lived and the friends she had. Vera even knew her roommates and the friends of her friends. So why hasn’t she ever seen Oz? Is Oz even real? How did Damien find him when he’s so elusive? Is Amira lying about knowing him? More and more questions seem to pile up the more and less Vera hears about Oz.

The truth was, Oz wasn’t simply silent an unassuming. Oz can basically erase his presents to such a low degree that he’s practically invisible to anyone that doesn’t know him. While he does rise his presents slightly for classes like PE and Theater, he was still pretty unassuming that most monsters completely forget about him after the fact. Long story short Oz had stealth mode on 90% of the time. He’s completely turned it off in the past 2 days.

“V-vera?” Amira asked gingerly not being able to stand the silence.

“Hm?” Hearing her name called out snapped Vera out of her thoughts and she looked back at Amira. “Right, so you’re friends with Oz.”

“Th-that’s right.”

“Tell me, can he speak?”

“Excuse me?” Amira’s eyebrows knit in confusion.

“I said. Can. He. Speak.”

“Ummm… yes? He doesn’t actually use his mouth but he can speak through telepathy.”

“I see. Would you be willing to tell me everything you know about him for a price?” Vera rubbed her fingers together.

“Sorry, I can’t do that.” An instant reply.

A frown appeared on Vera’s face. “Are you sure about that?” Her snakes hissed.

“I am. I’m not ratting out my friend.” Amira crossed her arms and stood her ground.

Amira was internally screaming and hoping that her nervousness didn’t show. She can’t betray Oz no matter what happens. Even if it means making an enemy out of Vera Oberlin. Vera just stared at her a few more seconds as her snakes kept hissing before she finally spoke again.

“Very well.” Vera sighed and her snakes stopped hissing. “Then do you have any idea on why Damien would be interested in him?”

“That... I don’t really know but apparently some things happened yesterday and they ended up exchanging numbers.”

“They exchanged numbers? Oz and Damien?”

“Yeah, it was… surprising.”

The scattered information in Vera’s mind started to click and a few dots connected.

“I see… well, this has been very useful indeed.” Vera slinked up to Amira’s right side and placed a hand on her shoulder as she whispered in her ears. “It takes guts to say no to me, so I’ll let it slide this time.” The grip on Amira’s shoulder tightened. “Just don’t think it’ll happen again a second time.”

Then Vera walked away. The moment the gorgon was out of sight Amira dropped to her knees and her friends rushed towards her from wherever they were hiding.

“Amira! Are you okay? Her hair didn’t bite you, right?” Vicky crouched down and rubbed Amira’s back.

“I-I’m okay. It just turned out better than I expected.” Amira let out a weak chuckle.

The school bell rang indicating that it was lunchtime.

“Huh, it’s lunch already.” Brian pulled out his phone to check the time.

“Do you think Oz will get lunch today?” Amira looked up at Brian.

“Uh, I don’t know. I’ll text him and ask.” Brian began typing.

 **Brian:** You getting lunch today?

 **Oz:** No, not today. Lunch tends to be pretty chaotic and I just want to relax today.

 **Oz:** I also feel pretty awkward going to the cafeteria after yesterday’s events orz

 **Brian:** Ok

 **Brian:** Have fun

 **Oz:** 😊

“He’s not coming.” Brian looked down at Amira.

“Now that that’s settled let’s go get lunch!” Vicky pulled Amira up. “Let’s sit together like usual today, okay?”

Amira gave a small nod as they all walked towards the cafeteria.

* * *

The cafeteria was buzzing with noise as students chat and ate their lunch. Damien and Liam were sitting together again today. Damien had complained earlier about how Liam ditched him the other day and Liam shrugged it off saying “You’d do the same if you had the chance.” Which was true so the ‘argument’ came to an end. Liam was arranging a food pic on the table while Damien was holding his phone and being shifty scanning around the cafeteria.

“Damien. What on earth are you doing?” Liam glanced at Damien.

“Isn’t it obvious? I’m playing with my phone, duh!” Damien didn’t look up from his phone screen.

“No, you’re not. You’ve been looking around the cafeteria while pretending to use your phone.” Liam raised a brow.

“What!? NO! I WASN’T-!” Damien’s phone had disappeared from his hands.

“I’m borrowing your phone.” Vera had slid into the seat next to Damien and snatched his phone.

“WHAT THE FUCK VERA! When did you get here!?” Damien snarled at Vera.

The gorgon ignored him and continued to fiddle with his phone then tossed the phone back to Damien when she was done. Damien started to checked his phone.

“What did you do?” Liam turned to Vera while Damien was still fiddling with his phone.

“Nothing. I just needed to check something.” Vera replied nonchalantly. “Anyway, I’ve been looking into that shadow monster you mentioned this morning.”

Damien stiffened at the words ‘shadow monster’. He hadn’t expected Vera to remember him even mentioning it. He didn’t really think things through (as if he ever did) when he asked her for info. In no way did he think it would make Vera curious enough to investigate Oz herself.

“Shadow monster?” Liam inquired.

“Yes, our friend here wanted to buy some information about a certain shadow monster. But all he told me was that he was a shadow monster that wore a yellow cardigan.” Vera explained.

“That description seems to fit perfectly with a fellow I met the other day.” Liam cupped his chin recalling the memory. “He did say he attended Spooky High, but I have yet to encounter him again.”

“You’ve met him?” Vera glanced at Liam.

“Yes, we had a lovely discussion about art and the agenda mainstream coffee shops were pushing towards the masses with their overpriced drinks and ridiculous flavors. Not that either of us actually knew what they tasted like but the ingredients themselves seem evident of-“

“I’m not interested enough to hear your rants, Liam. What I’m interested in is what that shadow monster was like.” Vera interrupted before Liam went on a tangent.

“Ah, yes. Well, he was pretty quiet and a good listener. He gave his input on some subjects but otherwise he didn’t say much.” Liam appeared smug for some reason. “Why would Damien want to know about someone like that?”

Both Vera and Liam turned to look at Damien who was still fiddling with his phone pretending that he wasn’t listening. But their scrutinizing stares were enough to make him crack.

“What!? My fists had an appointment with his face!” Damien snapped at them with an obvious lie.

“You were going to pay me to specifically punch someone?” Vera raised a brow.

“FUCK YOU GUYS!” Damien stood up. “I DON’T HAVE TO EXPLAIN MYSELF TO YOU!” Then he stormed out of the cafeteria.

“Well, I expected as much.” Vera rolled her eyes.

“Yes, a very Damien response.” Liam watched the swinging cafeteria door then turned to Vera “So, what did you actually do with his phone?”

“Like I said. I was just checking something.” A sly smile appeared on Vera’s face.

“Whatever, I need to take this food pic before lunchtime runs out.” Liam shrugged and went back to arranging his food pic.

* * *

Damien was storming down the hallway, punching any poor monster that was in his way or just anywhere near the range of his fists. He was angry. He wasn’t sure why he was angry but he was. The cafeteria food was shit, he hasn’t burned anything all day, his friends are being nosy, and he hasn’t seen Oz anywhere. Damien could just text him and ask where he is but that would make it seem like he wanted to see him, which he obviously doesn’t.

Damien had no reason to text Oz or vice versa, they weren’t even friends. He knew they didn’t have any classes together today, Oz had told him so. Why did Damien even want to know more about him? Oh right, it’s because he knew Damien could act. Not only did Oz compliment him, he also said he’s been watching Damien perform. It was really… flattering, to be complimented on something besides fire and crimes.

Damien wondered what Oz actually thinks of him. Not that it would matter. He was just… curious. Oz had been watching him and knew all the classes they shared even though Damien had no idea they even existed. The 2 times he forced Oz to pair up with him, he didn’t push Damien away or run off. The first time sure, Damien had threatened Oz. But during Mad Science class they could have refused or just went away, yet Oz did neither and even let him take credit for work he didn’t do without him asking for it.

Could Oz have been a stalker or secretly have a crush on Damien? I mean who wouldn’t want to fuck Damien (just kill me now). At least, if that was the case Damien is gonna tease the fuck out of him! Now Damien knows what to talk about the next time he sees Oz, the thought makes him feel a bit giddy and less angry somehow. He’s still going to punch everyone down the hallway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think my mind received critical damage from writing that last paragraph XD


	8. No Longer In The Dark

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oz's Origin/Backstory  
> Disclaimer: This is my personal take on Oz as the embodiment of fear from what the wiki states along with some of my own spins on it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took way too long to write. It was going well at the start, but then I didn't know how to end it so it just kept going.  
> Basically this is almost 3 times longer than my usual chapter lengths.  
> p.s. I kept listening to Boulevard of Broken Dreams by Green Day as I wrote this.

The void was and endless space of nothingness. A dimension filled with nothing as far as the eyes could see. Only darkness in a place where no light can be reflected. But now, there was some color in the void. A bright yellow cardigan and white dress-shirt floated in the sea of darkness. It was the embodiment of fear also known as Oz.

It has been a long time since Oz personally visited the void. He’d often use the void to store items and transport them but only when it seems necessary or the items were too bothersome to carry. He could use the void to go anywhere he wanted through the shadows, but he thought he might forget how to walk if he used it to go everywhere.

Today he felt like relaxing in the void, so that’s what he’s doing. Time moved slower in the void so he could take his time and do whatever he wanted. Being in the void made him feel nostalgic, for it was once the only world he knew. A simple world with no goal or ambition. Just fear and darkness. A time when he had yet to fully gain sentience.

* * *

Back then they were simply a being that consumed fear. It didn’t matter if it was small or huge fears, they’d consume any fear that was within their immediate vicinity. It took a long time before they finally gained some thoughts and chose what fear they consumed. It might have taken eons but they weren’t keeping count. They spent most of their time in the void where time moved slower but even then, they didn’t feel the passage of time.

As modern civilization started to grow there were more and more new fears created, which made the embodiment of fear both delighted and curious. They started to spend more time in the mortal plain, observing humans and monsters alike. The more they observed the more they started to think and their curiosity grew stronger, more than the need to consume fear.

They started to learn. Any language that existed, culture, values, morals, concepts, science, philosophy and feelings. It took the embodiment of fear considerable time to learn all those things, but even after knowing more knowledge than they could have ever imagined, they weren’t satisfied. They understood the logic of everything they learned but they were missing something. Something they couldn’t place.

Then they finally started to delve into fiction. It was like opening a completely different world and they finally realized what they were missing. They didn’t understand feelings. They lacked what was called empathy and probably many more feelings. All they understood was fear, all they ever knew was fear. Now they wanted to know more than fear.

The embodiment of fear thought long and hard on how they can achieve their goal. They asked themselves on what they can do. The many voices from inside (the phobias) couldn’t answer because they too, lack experience. The conclusion they drew was, they needed to live. They needed to live life as a mortal being in society. Then maybe, they can understand what feelings are.

But where do they start? What do they do exactly? What does it mean to be alive? They needed to do more research before they can even try to get closer to their goal. After consuming the knowledge of some sci-fi and fantasy stories regarding inanimate objects gaining sentience, they have a rough idea on what they should do.

They needed a role and a place. A role in society to blend into. A place to belong. Preferably a role and place that will give them enough freedom to experience life to the fullest. The most obvious place would be in monster society, human society was too bothersome to infiltrate. The question was, where exactly in monster society should he blend into?

After mulling their numerous options, attending Spooky High as a student seemed like the perfect course of action. It was essentially a place of education where adolescents were gathered, a perfect place to mentally develop themselves. With no age limit they don’t even have to forge their entrance application.

Now they just needed a form. They didn’t really have one and when they materialized in the mortal plain, they were just a goopy mass with no particular form. Should they just go to school that way, as a massive pile of black goop? No, that wouldn’t be practical and would certainly make them stand out. They could be a smaller pile of goop… no, still not better. They can shapeshift into any form they want, so it would be a waste not to take advantage of that.

That’s right, they would have to interact with other monsters when they attend school. Most of the monsters have humanoid forms, so it would probably be easier to blend in if they had a humanoid form. They had always wondered what it would be like to have a humanoid body, it would certainly be a new experience.

They thought of the form and began to morph. The form they thought of was that of an average sized human teenager to go along with their environment. Once the transformation was complete, they moved their limbs around and then their fingers. Everything was moving as it should be but then an unforeseen issue arose.

They couldn’t speak words. They had never spoke before using a mouth, so they were unsure how to speak using one. Would they need to start practicing? It would take a considerable amount of time and they wanted to start ‘living’ as soon as possible. Thinking for an alternative way to communicate they thought about using Sign Language but that would require everyone else to also know how to use Sign Language. Writing was plausible but according to their research, the students of Spooky High tend to be… unbelievably dumb. Then they remembered that they can use telepathy as they facepalmed for not thinking of it sooner.

With the talking issue out of the way, they decided to erase the mouth from their face as it would serve no purpose. If there was ever a need to use it, they can just conjure it up again. They couldn’t test the rest of their senses yet since there was nothing to hear or smell within the void. Their sense of touch was of low priority but they’d have to also test it later.

Having completed their new body, they somehow felt like there was still something missing. They couldn’t really see themselves because they were in the void and they blend into the darkness. Then the thought finally hit them, they didn’t have any clothes on. As the rules of modern monster society, clothing was a must even if it’s only a hat.

The embodiment of fear then went shopping (stealing) as they browsed clothes in closed clothing stores. They wanted to wear something nice and simple. Something that would make them noticeable but not stand out too much. They settled for a long-sleeved undershirt along with a yellow cardigan for their body and long grey pants with sneakers for their legs. They also spotted a golden watch to match with their cardigan as a useful accessory, since they were unfamiliar with time.

As they were browsing, they realized that their field of vision was severely reduced when using the humanoid body. It would take some getting used to but it wasn’t a huge issue. After wearing the clothes, they looked at a full-length mirror. The reflection they saw was very alien to them, it was like seeing someone else beyond the screen. They made a couple of random gestures in front of the mirror just to make sure that wasn’t the case.

The clothes fit perfectly and they were satisfied on how it looks. Their arms felt a bit restricted so they rolled up the sleeves pass the elbows. Checking back on the mirror, everything seemed to be in order and he looked like a harmless monster. Some phobias popped out of their shoulder and gave them a sign of approval. It was weird to see them pop out like that but they look cute.

All that’s left to be done is sign some paperwork and enroll at the school. The embodiment of fear got some writing utensils and school supplies while they were at it. They were filling out the enrollment form but they were stumped. The form asked for a name. What name should they write? They didn’t think this through. How could they have forgotten to pick a name?

Staring at the piece of paper, they kept thinking for a name. They never had a name so it never occurred to them that they would need one. Should they just put nameless in? That sounds like a terrible idea. It would be convenient to have a name. But what name? Fear Phobia? That also sounds stupid. They should really think this through, it’s not often that you can pick your own legal name… unless you change it later on.

After who knows how long, they thought it would be nice to have a very short name. Something that can’t be misspelled or misread by accident. Their name would be Oz. That’s who they would be. They didn’t have a family so a surname was unnecessary. With that out of the way, everything else was easy to fill in. As for the address, they put in the address of an abandoned house.

* * *

It was finally time. They can finally start living, then they will understand what feelings are. Things were going well and according to plan. Orientation was over and they were in class, introductions were about to start. But then something unexpected happened. The feeling of uneasiness started to assault them as if they were struck by lightning. What should they say first? How should they introduce themselves? Would everyone laugh at them? Do they look weird? What if as soon as they speak everyone booed at them? These thoughts swarmed their mind. The feeling of uneasiness and anxiety. They knew this feeling all too well.

**IT WAS FEAR**

Some would think that being the embodiment of fear would make you immune to fear, but the fact was the opposite. Being the embodiment of fear made them more susceptible to fear. Fear was at their core and will always be a part of them. The fear that they felt right now probably wasn’t their own, it was the fear of those around them.

The embodiment of fear wasn’t supposed to have thoughts, they weren’t supposed to have feelings other than fear, they weren’t supposed to be sentient. Their role was to consume fear and nothing more. Now they have gained sentience and their individuality is clashing with their purpose. The being that was the embodiment of fear had become an individual named Oz.

Oz was clutching their head and shaking in their seat. The phobias started to pop out all over his back and were moving wildly. Their tiny screams filled the classroom and everybody was frozen in horror at the sight. The negative feelings and thoughts just made the voice in Oz’s head scream louder as the uneasiness grew within them.

Oz didn’t have any lungs or any organs for that matter, but they felt like they were suffocating. The phobias on their back were moving even more wildly and their screams have gotten louder, but Oz could hear them. Suddenly everything stopped. A hand had gripped their shoulder from behind and the sensation halted Oz’s thoughts.

“Hey, are you okay?”

A soft gruff voice came from behind. Oz stopped clutching their head and looked behind. It was a zombie whose face is torn on their right side.

“You okay?” They asked again.

Oz was shaken, to say the least. They looked around the room anxiously and everyone else was looking at them with a terrified look on their face. Did they do something? The last few minutes have been hazy and the ringing in his head still lingered. They had no idea what was going on.

“Sir, we’ll be going to the nurse’s office.”

The teacher snapped out of their shocked state. “Oh, yes. Go take your friend with you.”

The zombie took Oz’s hand and lead them out of the classroom. Oz was in a daze but the ringing in their head had stopped. They didn’t know where the zombie was taking them but they just followed along. They entered a room that had beds in it, it’s probably the nurse’s office. The zombie placed them on a bed and Oz just sat there on the edge of it. The zombie sat in front of them on a stool.

“Do you know what just happened?” The zombie asked softly.

Finally registering the words spoken to them, Oz shook their head. The sudden rush of thoughts and uneasy feelings that struck them was a new experience. The fear they consumed in the past didn’t mess with their mind. So, what the hell happened back there? Could it be because of their materialized form? They never did fully materialize to consume fear, there was no need to do it.

Oz was nervous. Were they nervous? Or was it that the monsters around them were nervous. They couldn’t tell. Oz certainly felt calmer now, in a place where nobody aside from the zombie were around. The nurse must not be there yet. The room was completely silent, then Oz started to feel nervous again for some reason despite liking the quiet atmosphere.

“So, do you want me to tell you what happened?” The zombie rubbed the back of his neck.

Was the zombie nervous? Is that why Oz is also nervous? They were still unsure of what’s going on so Oz gave a small nod. The zombie told them how they were shaking while a bunch of phobias were screaming from their back. That… definitely sounds bad. The voice of the phobias is sure to strike terror upon those who hear it and if it didn’t affect them it would still be a pretty freaky sight to see.

Oz covered their face with their hands. Feelings of possibly shame and embarrassment washed over them. While it was certainly a new feeling, Oz wasn’t too thrilled about it. They’d jump into the void without a second thought if nobody was around. To think they terrorized an entire class when they should have introduced themselves.

They suddenly felt nervous again. Now Oz was certain they weren’t feeling nervous because they were too busy feeling embarrassed. Oz removed the hands that was covering their face and looked up at the zombie. He seemed a bit startled when Oz suddenly looked at them. But it was hard to tell since the zombie’s facial features hasn’t changed at all.

“I guess I’ll go back to class now.”

The zombie was about to stand up and leave but Oz grabbed their hand. When the zombie looked back at them, Oz shook his head to tell him not to leave. He sat back down and just stared at Oz while they didn’t say anything. Oz hadn’t uttered a single word and they weren’t sure if they should since it feels a bit to late to speak up, they weren’t even sure what to say if they did say something.

“Umm… does your back hurt or anything?”

Oz didn’t understand the question, why would his back hurt at all? They just tilted their head in confusion.

“I mean… what happened back there wasn’t normal, right? Then there were those things on your back.”

Oh, that’s what he meant. It probably looked like the phobias were causing them pain from a stranger’s perspective. While in reality, Oz doesn’t feel anything when they pop out regardless of their numbers. The phobias were also a part of them, specific fears within them in various forms. They started to gain more sentience along with Oz over time but ultimately, they are just a part of them. Kind of like sentient blood cells that can somehow talk to you.

Now that the subject has been brought up, it seemed like the perfect icebreaker. They can finally try talking to someone. Although they probably should have tried and test it out before actually going to school. Oz shook their head before finally projecting words into the zombie’s mind.

 _“I-I’m fine. It doesn’t hurt at all.”_ A single phobia popped out of their shoulder. _“These little things are harmless to me.”_ Oz petted the phobia with his finger. It looked happy.

The zombie stayed silent. Was their volume too high? Did they project their words correctly? Or did the zombie not hear them? Oz turned back at the zombie and it seems like a look of surprise was on his face. His eyes were wider than before. A few more phobias popped out of Oz’s shoulders and tilted their bodies looking at the zombie.

“W-was that voice y-you?” The zombie stuttered.

All the phobias when back into Oz. _“Oh, sorry! I should have given you a warning or something.”_ Oz gave a small bow. _“This is just how I talk.”_

“That’s alright. It just... surprised me.”

_AAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!! I’m such an idiot! I should have thought things through! I’ve been hasty and now everything is falling apart. I should have waited. I should have been more patient. I should have prepared more. What am I even doing here? Why did I come here? What am I? Who am I? Maybe I shouldn’t have come here at all. I shouldn’t have tried doing something I wasn’t meant to do._

Oz was having an existential crisis. A blank look was on their otherwise featureless face, giving no indication of their inner turmoil. The zombie was shifting on the stool, unsure of what to say. The silence lasted for a few moments before the zombie finally said something.

“So, uuuuh. What’s your name?”

Hearing the zombie speak, Oz pushed all their thoughts to the back of their mind. They could think about it later when they’re alone. Now, they had to focus on how to keep the conversation from becoming too awkward (as if it wasn’t already).

_“M-my name?”_

“Umm… yeah. I’m Brian Yu. As you can see, I’m a zombie.” Brian scratched his left cheek with a finger. “What about you?”

 _“I-I’m Oz. I’m…”_ The embodiment of fear. Oz stopped themselves from saying it. It might not be a good idea to just blurt out what they were. They wouldn’t have cared earlier but after the incident in class it’s made them wary of what they are and Oz didn’t want to scare off a classmate. _“I’m just Oz.”_

“Ooookay?” Brian raised a brow. “Then Oz, you should probably get some rest. I’m sure the teachers won’t mind if you don’t go back to class.”

Oz looked at the pillow that was on the bed they were sitting on. They never really slept before since it did not benefit them. The thought of sleep seemed unappealing. They would rather spend their time thinking on what to do next. Going back to class would also feel awkward. It was then that Oz realized something and turned back to face Brian.

 _“I-I don’t really need to rest I’m fine.”_ Oz raised their hand above their chest. _“Also, thanks for taking me here. Who knows what would have happened if you didn’t?”_

“No problem, man. Everybody else seemed to be frozen in shock so I just did what I could at the time.”

Man? Was Oz a man? They never really thought about it since they had no gender. Even on the school enrollment form they ticked the box that said non-binary. Remembering their current form, they do resemble a male more than a female. Whether that was a conscious choice or not they weren’t sure. The thought of correcting others that assume they were male seemed bothersome and the classification itself didn’t bother them. It seems like identifying themselves as male would be convenient.

“But still. You sure you don’t need to rest? You looked pretty shaken up earlier.”

 _“I’m totally fine. But…”_ Oz looked down and started to twiddle his thumbs.

“But?”

 _“I don’t want to go back to class.”_ Oz whined in a very small voice within Brian’s mind.

“Pffft…” A laugh escaped Brian’s mouth. “Yeah. I don’t wanna go back either!”

Brian’s laughter startled Oz. He had no idea why the zombie was laughing. Oz didn’t say a joke, which is when laughter is supposed to happen… probably? Brian stood up and pointed his thumb towards the door.

“Wanna go and just hang for the rest of the period?”

 _“Hang?”_ Oz didn’t learn lingo or slang when he was learning language.

“Ummm… let’s just go. If you want to.” Brian picked up his bag from the floor that he had brought with him since he had intended to ditch class from the start. “Oh, yeah. Your bag is probably still in class. Want me to go get it for you?”

 _“Th-there’s no need to. I didn’t bring a bag.”_ Oz stood up from the bed.

“Alright then let’s get going.” Brian walked out of the nurse’s office and Oz followed right behind him.

Oz had left his bag in the void since he heard that the first day of school was more for introductions and such. If he needed anything, he’d just pull it out from the shadows. As Oz followed Brian though the school halls, he was surprised to see many students moving around. He knew the school was pretty loose with their rules but this was more chaotic than they expected. It did somewhat ease their mind thinking that the incident they caused would just be one of many in this sea of craziness.

Brian led Oz to the grassy field behind the outdoors bathroom near the woods. It was very quiet compared to the rest of the school. Brian set his bag aside and laid down on the grass. He patted the area next to him gesturing Oz to follow what he was doing. Not quite sure what they were doing Oz just went along with it. Brian was laying down with his hands behind his head and eyes closed, while Oz’s position was oddly stiff as if he was standing straight as he stared at the sky.

 _“What are we doing?”_ Oz turned his head to the side to look at Brian who was next to him.

“We’re relaxing Oz.” Brian didn’t move, his eyes still closed. “Just clear your mind and don’t think about anything. Then feel the nature around as the wind blows all your troubles away.”

Don’t think about anything. Is that even possible? Ever since Oz started to think he never stopped. Regardless of how mundane the thoughts were, he was always thinking about something. Even now, he was thinking on what to do for the rest of the day that his plans have been ruined. Oz knew the concept of relaxing but he thought of it the same way as sleep, it wasn’t beneficial.

It probably wouldn’t hurt to try an relax since his classmate suggested it. Oz looked around the scenery. The sky was blue as the sun was shining brightly. It was a clear sunny day, there were a few clouds in the sky and the wind blew softly. Oz has never really paid attention to nature as much as he observed people. It was calming, but it didn’t stop him from thinking. He started to think of how different the sky would look under different conditions.

Brian finally took a peek at Oz and saw that he was stiffly laid out next to them and he was blankly staring at the sky.

“Ummm… isn’t that position uncomfortable?”

_“Not really.”_

“If you say so…” Brian turn to look up at the sky. “Are you relaxed yet?”

_“Not really.”_

“Do you hear what I’m saying?”

_“Yes.”_

“What are you thinking?”

_“The sky can change it’s color depending the time of day and weather conditions.”_

Brian didn’t really expect Oz to tell him what he was thinking about, but the answer was just as unexpected.

“Maybe it’ll be easier to relax if you closed your eyes.”

At Brian’s suggestion Oz slowly closed his eyes. He hasn’t done so until now since he didn’t need to blink and he was still getting used to the humanoid body he has now. His vision grew dark, it was comforting. Oz could still feel the heat of the sun and wind on his skin, so it felt different from being in the void. It was a new sensation. He stopped thinking and just focused on his senses.

Time flew by, the sound of the school bell made Oz open his eyes and sat up. When he looked to check on Brian, the zombie was snoring and fully asleep. Oz wondered if he should wake Brian up. Thinking Brian could go back to sleep if he didn’t want to wake up, Oz decided to wake him up.

 _“Brian. Wake up.”_ Oz shook Brian’s shoulders.

The zombie just grumbled and didn’t budge.

_“BRIAN! WAKE UP!”_

Brian instantly sat up and clutched his head.

 _“Oops. I might have been a bit too loud.”_ Oz said sheepishly.

“Ugh. My head hurts.”

_“S-sorry.”_

“I’m fine.” Brian shook his head. “What time is it?”

 _“The bell just rang so second period should be starting soon.”_ Oz checked his watch to be sure.

“Guess I better get going.” Brian stood up as he grabbed his bag. “Are you going to your next class?”

Oz thought for a moment. It would be unwise to attend another class if he doesn’t know what triggered the incident this morning. It would be safer to quit for the day and come back tomorrow if he figures it out by then.

_“No, I’ll be going home for today.”_

“I see. I hope you feel better. See ya around.” Brian walked away as he waved at Oz.

Oz returned the wave. As soon as Brian was out of view, Oz sank into his shadow and went to the void. All the sensations he felt as he laid down on the grass has vanished as he was enveloped into nothingness. Oz felt something akin to disappointment but he didn’t know why. He needed to find the cause of his outburst in class so he pushed the thought aside to handle bigger issues.

In order to investigate the phenomenon Oz needed to go to a place ripe with fear, and so he went and paid a visit to hell. Whenever he wasn’t satiated by the fear of mortals, he’d go visit hell to feed on the terror of tortured souls. Today, he would be visiting to test out his materialized form and see how he’d react.

The moment he was close to a huge amount of fear, he felt a similar feeling as he did at class. It was a different from when he was in class. It was more intense and he was overflowed with the fear of pain and dying. Oz tried to concentrate and consume the fear like he usually does. Once the fear was consumed, he felt lighter and no longer in mental agony.

Apparently, his physical form had made him a lot more sensitive to fear. Oz had always been about to detect fear but now, in this form he doesn’t simply detect it, he also feels it as if it were his own fear. This would make things difficult and confusing for him if he can’t even tell what fears are actually his or someone else’s.

For the rest of the day Oz did a lot of experiments and testing to see what his new body is capable of. Honestly, he should have done this sooner but Oz didn’t think there would be so many setbacks for having a physical body. As he was experimenting, Oz found the act rather exciting if not very terrifying sometimes when things go wrong. He had always been more of an observer. Just watching and never intervening.

Before his second day at Spooky High started Oz was in the void. He was mulling over his findings after all the experiments he did and how he should apply it. He had also checked on all of his teacher’s itineraries (in secret) to make sure he didn’t miss any homework, there weren’t any but it was better to be safe than sorry now.

Oz entered the school cautiously. He had lowered his presents but was still nervous of his surroundings, not wanting to cause another incident. When he sat down in class, Oz noticed some of the students were the same from the last class he attended. They should have recognized Oz immediately once they saw him but none of them seemed to care. Perhaps they’ve erased the incident from their memories due to trauma.

The day had been going smoothly just as he planed. Oz was no longer assaulted by the fears of his fellow classmates and if there was too much fear around, he’d just consume it. He wasn’t completely immune from it but it was a huge improvement from yesterday. Compared to the fears in hell, the fears of legally adult teenagers were more manageable.

* * *

It was lunchtime so Oz headed towards the cafeteria. While he didn’t need to eat. he was curious of how student acted during lunch. It was supposedly the appropriate time for students to mingle outside of class. Not that many students at this school actually pay attention to class in the first place.

The cafeteria was bursting with energy and noise. With students chatting and eating, some at the same time. Oz scanned around the room and just observe everyone as he just stood in the corner. 2 phobias appeared on his shoulder and observed along with him. The one on his right shoulder then tried to get his attention and pointed at a table. Brian was sitting there with 2 girls and they seemed to be enjoying their lunch.

The inexplicable feeling of disappointment washed over him again as it did yesterday. Oz couldn’t quite tell what it is. He looked to the phobias on his shoulders and all they could do was shrug. They really aren’t helpful for self-reflection. Oz closed his eyes and assumed a thinking pose which would make him stand out if he didn’t lower his presents, then began to ponder.

What was this weird feeling of disappointment he felt that wasn’t exactly disappointment? He’s actually felt it many times when he observed others, it just wasn’t as strong. Oz tried to recall all the times he felt this way and cross-referenced it with his knowledge on psychology. The conclusion he came to was envy. He was envious of those around him for various reasons. But what did he envy from Brian? He still can’t quite pinpoint it. Hmmm? The phobias are patting the back of his neck for some reason.

“Hey Oz.”

Oz opened his eyes from hearing his name and was surprised to see Brian standing in front of him. His phobias already went back into his body.

_“H-hey… Brian.”_

“What are you doing here in the corner by yourself?”

_“U-umm… nothing. Just thinking to myself.” STUPID! WHY DID YOU TELL THE TRUTH!_

“Oh, okay. Did you come here to get lunch?”

_“Not really.”_

“You sure say that a lot.” Brian chuckled. “Wanna come sit with me and my friends?”

_“I-I wouldn’t want to intrude.”_

“It’s fine. I already told them I was coming to get you.”

_“Why would you do that!?”_

“Well… you were kind of just standing here so I thought ‘why not?’”

Oz looked past Brian to see the table he was sitting at. The 2 girls were watching them and waved when they saw Oz looking their way.

_“I-I guess… if it’s fine with you.”_

“I said it was fine. No need to be so shy.”

Brian went behind Oz and gently pushed him towards the table. Oz was actually really nervous. While he’s gotten used to being in crowds, he hasn’t actually interacted with anyone aside from Brian. He had been avoiding social interactions due to his lack of social skills and his stealth mode made it unlikely for others to actually approach him first.

When they finally reached the table, the blue girl with stiches all over her got up close to Oz. She took his hand in hers and started shaking.

“Hi! Nice too meet you! My name is Vicky Schmidt!”

_“H-hello. M-my name is Oz.”_

“WOW! You really do speak through telepathy! Does that mean you can also read minds!?”

Brian yanked Vicky away from Oz.

“Vicky. I told you. No invasive questions.”

“But that wasn’t invasive! I just wanna know if he can read minds!”

“That is literally an invasive question. Oz, you don’t have to answer that.”

Oz was actually going to answer Vicky’s question but since Brian said he didn’t have to, he just stayed quiet. Then the fire hair girl walked in front of Oz now that Vicky was pulled away. She extended her hand towards Oz.

“The name’s Amira Rashid. Pleasure to meetcha”

Oz gingerly accepted the handshake.

_“O-oz.”_

“Man, you sure are a shy one!” She patted Oz on the shoulder.

After the introductions everyone sat back down to continue lunch. Oz took a seat between Vicky and Amira since it was the only one unoccupied. As he sat there, he realized something. The unpleasant feeling of envy he felt earlier had disappeared.

“Sho, Ozs.” Amira was talking while chewing then swallowed. “How’d you meet Brian?”

“We met in class first period yesterday.”

“That’s it? There’s gotta be more to it!”

“That’s it.”

“Then how come you didn’t bring Oz to sit with us yesterday?”

“He went home early.”

“Hey Oz is that true?”

“It is.”

“Let him speak for himself Brian!”

“No.”

“Why not!?”

“He’d say the same thing anyway.”

_“Not really.”_

Brian snickered.

“What’s this? You two have an in-joke already?” Vicky looked at Oz.

_“Not really.”_

Brian’s snicker turned into full on laughter. Oz didn’t really get it but it seems like Brian was having fun. Vicky and Amira looked surprised.

“No, seriously. How long have you known each other?” Amira covered Brian’s mouth as she looked at Oz.

_“Since yesterday morning.”_

“No way. Brian was telling the truth!?” Amira stopped covering Brian’s mouth.

“I told you so.”

Seeing the exchange between Brian and Amira made Oz feel warm and fuzzy. He wasn’t sure why or what this feeling is but he thinks he likes it. While Brian and Amira were still bickering on the validity of how they met Oz, Vicky slid her seat closer to Oz and whispered to him.

“So, tell me. How did you really meet?”

_“Like Brian said, we met at class yesterday.”_

“That’s not what I meant! Who made the first move!? How did it happen!? Did you two bond over some whacky class assignment!?” Vicky was whisper shouting which makes her voice practically normal volume she might as well not be whispering.

Oz was about to answer but Brian had interjected again before he could.

“Vicky. I can hear you.”

“What? Amira asked the same thing!?”

“Why are you two making such a big deal out of this?”

“Because it is a big deal!” Vicky stood up and raised both her hands in the air. “You never invite anyone to hang out with us!” She promptly sat back down and pointed at Oz. “Oz is literally the first one.”

“Th-that’s-.” Brian’s mouth was agape not sure on what he should say.

_“Ummm… so… you guys knew each other before entering Spooky High?”_

Oz had been curious about it since they seem to be pretty close compared to simple classmates.

“Yep, we went to Spooky Middle School together!” Amira slung over Brian’s shoulders. “He might not look it, but Brian here is really good at sports.”

“Oh yeah! You’re entering the football team tryouts when they open registration, right?” Vicky turned to Brian. “I’ll cheer you on so you better give it your all!”

“You just want something to cheer, don’t you?” Brian deadpans.

“Of course!” Vicky claimed excitedly.

“Then why not join the cheerleaders?”

“Nah, I don’t really care for dance routines.” Vicky said dismissively.

After school clubs weren’t mandatory. Aside from his desire and curiosity to understand feelings, Oz has no other particular interest. Interacting with other monsters should help him reach his goal but he wasn’t keen on the idea despite going so far as to enroll in Spooky High. After yesterday’s mental assault, a lot of doubt and uncertainty has changed his state of mind.

Oz didn’t know if those doubts were his or the effect of others. The doubt and uncertainty of youth was abundant in a high school so perhaps they weren’t his. That’s the only reason he’s still entertaining his own plan. The thought of just abandoning the plan had crossed his mind many times but he still wanted to know, to try and live life.

“Hey Oz! You still with us buddy?” Vicky waved a hand in front of Oz’s face.

 _“Y-yes, I am.”_ Oz was a bit startled from being suddenly addressed.

“What classes do you have after this?”

_“Oh. Umm… Trap Manufacture and Monster Kind History.”_

“That’s great!” Vicky grabbed Oz’s hands again. “All 4 of us have Trap Manufacture next! You’ll be sticking with us, right?”

Oz wasn’t sure how he felt about Vicky’s over-friendliness. He felt a small pang of dread after hearing her words. So, they have class together next. He isn’t sure why he would feel dread from hearing that. Oz turned to look at Brian, it looks like his face is pretty neutral, at least he thinks it is.

“You can just say no.” Brian said bluntly.

“Don’t be such a party pooper Brian! I know you want to hang out more with Oz too!” Vicky pouted, still holding Oz’s hands.

“Yeah… but…” Brian looked perplexed.

* * *

Lunch ended so the 4 of them went to Trap Manufacture together. Oz was curious on what the class would entail. The teacher told them to form a group and make a unique mouse trap. Oz figured it was a simple beginner’s test. He thought about making some blueprints for the trap but Amira and Vicky were already crafting the mouse trap. It was a disaster.

The mouse trap they made had somehow exploded in a flurry of electricity during testing. It had created enough damage to the classroom that it was unusable so the rest of class was dismissed. Then Vicky suggested going to the Library for the rest of the period, Oz still tagged along since he had nothing better to do and Vicky insisted.

The instant they arrived at the library, Amira and Vicky dashed towards the computers. Seeing the 2 run off, Brian walked towards a quiet corner of the library. Oz decided to look around to find any interesting books. There were a lot of random books within the library with some questionable one among them. Oz settled for a collection of poems. He went to the corner Brian was at, he was sitting on the carpet floor against the wall nodding off.

Oz sat down beside Brian on the carpet, and started to read the book of poems he picked up. Oz didn’t really understand poems but he found some amusement in reading them. In the middle of reading Brian had slumped over to his left where Oz was sitting and leaned on his head. Feeling uncomfortable from the weight on his head, Oz shifted their position and placed Brian’s head on his shoulders gently hoping not to wake the zombie up then continued to read.

Reading was one of the things Oz knew he enjoyed doing. While it was mostly for researched and study at the start, he developed a fondness of the activity especially when he started to read fiction. The world had always been a vast place but he didn’t realize how vast until his curiosity grew. He wonders if he’d appreciate poems more if he actually understood why they were trying to convey.

“Do you like poems?”

_“Not really.”_

“Are you doing that on purpose?”

_“What do you mean?”_

“Nevermind, it’s nothing.”

It’s quiet once again. The atmosphere was pretty tranquil and the only sounds Oz could hear were the sounds of typing in the distance. He was used to the complete silence in the void but this wasn’t bad, it was less rowdy than the classrooms at least. When he heard footsteps coming his way, Oz looked up from the book to see who was coming.

“Hey guys. Next period would be starting soon.” Vicky had come to inform them.

Brian was still sleeping on Oz’s shoulders. Oz looked at him and back to Vicky.

_“Do you guys have another class together?”_

“Nah, Trap Manufacture was the only one today. Amira went off to the party tree already, saying she’d skip next period.” Vicky sighed. “I’m going to my next class now.”

_“Oh, okay.”_

“Since we’re going our separate ways, I thought I’d ask you for your number!” Vicky pulled out her phone. “That way we can meet up later!”

Oz just stared at Vicky’s phone. He didn’t have a phone since he didn’t see the need for one. While smartphones were everywhere and considered a very useful tool, Oz had already obtained most of the information he needed through other means. He wasn’t really a technophobe but the only use he saw the phone having was to contact other people, he had nobody to contact so he deemed the item useless.

“You don’t want to? Is it too soon?” Vicky tilted her head.

_“No… I don’t really mind. I just… don’t have a phone.”_

“WHAT! HOW CAN YOU NOT HAVE A PHONE!?”

Vicky shouted so loud that Brian woke up. The few people that actually cared about being quiet in the library shushed at her.

“Sorry!” Vicky yelled out and looked down at Oz. “You seriously don’t have a phone!?” she whisper shouts.

Oz just shook his head. Brian yawned as he stretched out his arms.

“What’s going on?” He said still sleepy.

“Oh, it’s nothing! I’m going to my next class! See you guys later.” Vicky dashed out of the library.

“What was that about?” Brian turned to Oz.

Oz just shook his head again. He had no idea why Vicky suddenly ran off. He figured she must really want to be early for the next class.

“Did the bell already ring?”

 _“Not yet.”_ Oz checked his watch. “ _It should ring in around 10 minutes.”_ Then he picked his book back up and continued to read where he left off.

“It’s still too early for class.” Brian grumbled and looked around the library. “Where’s Amira?”

_“Vicky said something about her going to a party tree.”_

“Of course, she would.” Brian sighed.

 _“You can go back to sleep if you want. I’ll just be here reading.”_ Oz craned his neck to the left.

“Uuuh, what are you doing?” Brian raised a brow.

_“It’ll be easier to lean on my shoulder this way.”_

“You…” Brian looked away. “You don’t have to do that. I’m not going back to sleep.”

_“Are you sure?”_

“I’m sure.”

Oz straightened his craned neck still not looking away from the book. Brian just sat there doing nothing for a while before he spoke up again.

“So, uh. What was Vicky shouting about earlier?” Brian looked at Oz.

_“She was surprised I don’t have a phone.”_

“You don’t?”

 _“I don’t.”_ Oz stopped reading and turned to Brian. _“Do you think I should get one?”_

“Well… it would be good if you did. They’re very useful.”

Oz weighed the pros can cons from getting a phone. There weren’t really many cons aside paying for the cell service. He couldn’t really think of any pros since he’s never used a phone before. If he was going to be a ‘normal’ high school student it might prove useful to have one, even if he wasn’t sure how. Still, it wouldn’t be very useful if he doesn’t have at least one contact number that isn’t emergency services.

“You don’t have to get one if you don’t want to. They can be pretty expensive.”

_“Hmmm… I’ll think about it.”_

“Just don’t think too hard. It’s not that important if you got by without one until now.”

There was a lull in the conversation so Oz went back to reading his book.

“Say Oz…” Brian rubbed the back of his neck. “What do you think about Amira and Vicky?”

 _“They’re… energetic?”_ Oz wasn’t really sure what else to say and turned to Brian. _“Why do you ask?”_

“No, it’s nothing really. Just that… they can be a bit much sometimes. I hope they didn’t make you feel uncomfortable.”

 _“They’re nice.”_ Oz’s eyes turned upward trying to show a smile without a mouth.

“I see.”

The rest of their time in the library was spent in silence until they parted ways. Oz didn’t go to his last class and just went straight back to the void. Those were his first 2 days of life that he spent with the monsters that he now calls friends.

* * *

**Present Date**

Those days seem so far away yet it wasn’t so long ago. Oz had changed a lot in those short few years he spent with his friends but at the same time he remained stagnant. He had developed interests and hobbies, but the doubts he had that first day never went away and it only piled up with more doubts and uncertainty. The world around him grew larger and as fast as it grew, he had halted its progress.

Oz built a literal barrier around him so that nobody new could enter. He was quite surprised at himself for shutting down the barrier without much resistance. Many uncertainties still plague his mind but he couldn’t stay still and frozen in time. The past few years felt so long and slow compared to the countless millennia he spent consuming fear and nothing more. He truly did feel, alive.

Oz is the embodiment of fear, he will never escape fear. At times he had lamented his existence but he never hated fear itself. It’s just a natural part of life he thought. His friends had been there for him when he thought about quitting life altogether and just stay in the void. They never pushed him to do things he didn’t really want but maybe that’s also a part of why he stayed so content.

Now he had a new simple goal. Oz sort of forgot why he turned off his stealth mode sometimes even though it’s barely been 3 days. But it was a step in the right direction, or at least he hopes so. For now, he’ll stay in the soothing dark embrace of the void until lunchtime is over. Then he’ll be back into his new brightly vibrant colorful world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I lowkey ship Brian and Oz lol  
> Being stumped on how the future plot should proceed so I went and made some backstory.  
> I think next chapter will be another backstory continuation just not as long... hopefully.


	9. No Longer The Same

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Brian's POV of the past and a sudden turn of events.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I guess it's technically shorter than the last chapter lol  
> I've always liked different POVs but making sure it wasn't exactly the same was a pain @_@

Today has been a stressful day for Brian. Nothing has actually happened but it feels like the start of a storm brewing. The worst part of it was that everything linked back to his best friend Oz. Back when Vicky said that they should all get dates for prom Brian didn’t take it seriously. He was sure that Oz only said yes out of peer pressure, not wanting to disappoint his friends. Oz has always been like that.

When Oz got back to the apartment that night and told them he spoke to other monsters, Brian was utterly shocked. He almost couldn’t believe it due to how fast it happened. Then when Oz mentioned the name of his crush along with prom, Brian almost lost all of his composure. Brian ended up acting really weird that morning but Oz didn’t even pry.

He did plan on talking more about his crush to Oz later on but then the cafeteria incident with Damien happened. Oz was really distraught yesterday and it made Brian feel bad. He tried to hide the fact that he froze Damien just to spend some time with Liam but Oz saw right through him and laughed it off. It made him feel a little worse but at the same time he was glad that Oz wasn’t mad at him.

Just this morning he’s hearing that not just Damien but Vera were looking into Oz. Vicky told him and Amira that it wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, but Brian thought that was being too optimistic. Damien is a violent asshole that set things on fire for fun while Vera is a mean schemer that has blackmail on most of the students. If those 2 are interested in someone, that can’t possibly be a good thing.

Everything is moving too fast. Brian’s mind can’t keep up. He’s not sure what to think or feel. Brian didn’t have any football practice today so he’s skipping all of his classes. He thought about going home but something might happen at school, so he decided to stay. Not sure on where else to brood, Brian went to the grassy field behind the bathroom and laid down.

As he lay there just staring at the sky, Brian tried to process everything. The truth was, he’s still a bit shocked that Oz is talking to other monsters. Ever since they first met, Oz had always been reluctant to talk to others. Brian never asked why and just assumed Oz would never change that part of him. It’s not a bad thing, really. It’s just… really surprising.

Aside from the chaos surrounding them, Oz hasn’t really acted any differently. That part is probably the most unsettling part for Brian. He expected Oz would be too nervous to even talk to new people, then if he did manage to do it, he would be less open to talk about it. Neither of that happened. Oz talked to other monsters and shared his experience pretty casually.

The thought slightly irritated Brian for some reason and he hates himself for feeling that way. He should be happy that his best friend is opening up, like Vicky was. But the thought of Oz getting more friends made him feel anxious. While Brian considered Oz to be his best friend, he always had trouble understanding what he was thinking and now he wonders if he even knows Oz at all.

Perhaps he’d been conceited. Brian was the first person that approached Oz, he even introduced him to his friends. After that Oz didn’t make any new friends or even talk to others. Then when Oz told them about his stealth mode, it made Brian feel special. But now, he’s starting to think maybe anyone would do. If someone else approached Oz before him, he might not even know he existed, just like mostly everyone at school.

* * *

**A few Years Back**

It was the first day of school and Brian was not in the mood to do anything. Vicky had insisted that they all attend classes, at least the first day which he and Amira begrudgingly agreed to. Brian thought he’d mostly sleep through them anyway. He was nodding off already the moment he sat down, but then he heard some weird tiny screeches.

The monster at the desk in front of him was hunched over, tiny blobs with faces on his back seem to be screaming. Looking around everyone was just staring and doing nothing, as if they’re frozen in shock. Brian’s undead brain couldn’t comprehend what was happening since it wasn’t affected by the screech that brought upon terror to those who hear it, it just sounded like normal screeching to him.

Seeing as no one else was going to do anything, Brian grabbed the monster’s shoulder to ask what’s going on. When the monster turned around the look on his face seemed terrified and they were still slightly shaking under Brian’s grip. Figuring that they might be sick or something, Brian took the monster to the nurse’s office.

Unfortunately, the nurse wasn’t in and the monster was just sitting on the bed instead of laying down on it. Brian wasn’t sure what he should do as he sat there in front of the monster. They still looked pretty pale and shaken. It made Brian feel kind of nervous, if he didn’t handle this carefully, he thinks the smaller monster might start freaking out again.

Brian told the monster what had happened in class since it seems like they don’t remember. Sitting face-to-face like this, Brian realized he didn’t have a mouth. Maybe they can’t talk, which is why they haven’t said a thing. After Brian had finished recounting what had happened to the monster, he looked down and covered his face.

Is… is he crying? Did I just make him cry!? Ugh, what am I supposed to do now!? I just told him what happened, did I say something wrong? Or is it something else? Did I scare him somehow? He does seem pretty skittish, maybe seeing my face too long creeped him out. I should probably just leave him alone. I wish Vicky was here, she’d know what to do.

Brian was startled when the monster suddenly looked up at him. It doesn’t look like they were crying, but it’s hard to tell. He was just about to leave when the monster stopped him, so he sat back down. At least it didn’t seem like Brian made things worse on accident. He wasn’t used to these sorts of situations and still had no idea what to do so it was kind of awkward.

Remembering where they were, Brian decided to ask if the monster was actually hurt or not. It did look like he was in pain back in class. The monster didn’t respond for a while. Brian thought it was another easy yes or no question. Was he actually hurting and doesn’t want to admit it? Suddenly a voice was talking in Brian’s head and a tiny blob appeared on the monster’s shoulder.

It took a while for Brian to process what just happened, apparently the monster can speak using telepathy. The voice in his head was light and shy, it certainly fit the monster in front of him he thought. Brian introduced himself and the monster told him his name was Oz. There was a long pause when he said his name was just Oz, was he really that shy about introducing himself? Brian couldn’t really tell since he was pretty socially awkward himself.

They had a pretty awkward exchange and Oz insisted that he was fine. Brian had some doubts that he was completely fine, but he didn’t want to push it. When Oz said he didn’t want to go back to class, Brian couldn’t help but laugh. Oz sounded like he was a child about to be scolded for doing something wrong and Brian found it highly amusing considering a lot of students were already skipping class.

While Oz insisted that he was fine he still seemed pretty stressed. Brian felt pity towards the smaller monster and wanted to cheer him up, problem is he wasn’t sure how. He asked Oz to hang out, but he wasn’t sure if they even wanted to follow a Stanger. To Brian’s surprise, Oz followed him without much prompting.

Brian wasn’t familiar with the layout of Spooky High yet, so he just wandered aimlessly to find a quiet spot. Oz followed behind him without saying a word and looked around as they were walking. After reaching a nice spot to relax they both laid down and did nothing. Surely this would help Oz calm down at least. When Brian checked to see if Oz was relaxing, it didn’t seem like he was.

He suggested Oz to close his eyes and try to relax. Brian wasn’t sure that would actually help but it’s better than nothing. Oz seemed to be a bit spacey and probably thinking too much is what he gathered from what Oz said to him. He made it sound like he was thinking about some technical weather stuff. Brian liked looking at the clouds, but he doesn’t really think much when doing it. It was a nice sunny day and the wind blew softly. Brian got really drowsy and fell into a deep sleep.

_“BRIAN! WAKE UP!”_

The loud shout in his mind rattled his brain, effectively waking him up. Thankfully Oz woke him up right after the bell rang. Brian had already broken his promise by skipping first period but maybe he can try and attend the rest of the classes today. He said his farewell to Oz and headed for his next class.

Brian slept through his second class too, at this rate he might sleep through all the classes today. Not that it matters, it was the first day. He grouped up with Vicky and Amira during lunchtime. Amira seemed as bored as he was. Vicky was chipper as ever. They got their lunch from the lunch lady and sat at a table together.

“Soooo… how’s everyone doing in class?” Vicky started excitedly.

“Boring.” Amira sighed.

“I slept through them.” Brian bluntly admitted.

“You guys! Are you even trying!?” Vicky protested.

“Nope.”

“Not a bit.”

Both Brian and Amira said in unison and shook their head. Vicky placed her elbow on the table, rested her chin on her hand and leaned on it.

“You know what? Just forget about it. Do whatever you want.” Vicky pouted.

“Aww don’t be like that Vick. We’re just not into learning like you are.” Amira patted Vicky on the shoulders. “We all have that Trap making class tomorrow so we’ll definitely be there tomorrow! Right, Brian?”

“Yeah.”

“Can’t you at least try to sound more enthusiastic?” Amira glanced at Brian.

“No.”

“It’s fine Amira.” Vicky sat back straight and crossed her arms. “But you guys better go to class with me tomorrow or I’m gonna be seriously pissed!”

“Of course!” Amira grabbed Brian’s shoulders. “I’ll even drag this guy myself!”

“I said I was going, didn’t I?” Brian grumbled.

“Yeah, but knowing your lazy ass you need to be dragged there.” Amira teased.

Brian just rolled his eyes. It was kind of true.

“Oh right! Did you guys hear what happened this morning?” Vicky perked up remembering something.

“No? Did something big happen?” Amira looked back at Vicky.

“Yeah! I heard some sort of fear gas was let loose and a whole class got hit! Nobody knows what happened exactly but a lot of the students in that class got some sort of PTSD! It got so bad they had to use amnesia potions to heal them.” Vicky told the tale with exaggerated hand gestures.

“Woah, seriously!? Was it a prank or something?” Amira’s eyes lit up, interested in the story.

“That’s the thing, nobody seems to know what actually happened. Nobody is taking cred and all the witnesses either got amnesia or not talking about it.” Vicky stroked her chin.

“Then how did you hear about it?” Brian raised a brow.

“Some student heard the teachers talking about it and now the story is spreading like wildfire.” Vicky raised her hands in the air.

“Then it’s probably exaggerated.” Brian rebutted.

“Probably… but some of it must be true if it’s spreading around!” Vicky slammed her fist on the table.

“Sure, because there’s always a grain of truth in all high school gossip.” Brian sneered.

“Man, you can be such a wet blanket sometimes.” Amira said exasperated.

Brian just shrugged. He can’t recall anything big happening this morning aside from Oz’s freak out but surely that has nothing to do with the story Vicky just told them. Even if something did happen, he probably slept through it. Putting the thoughts aside Brian started to eat his lunch.

* * *

The next day Brian was actually awake during classes so he was able to absorb some knowledge. It was still boring though. Maybe it was a good thing since who knows what Amira and Vicky would do during Trap Manufacture. Amira wasn’t exactly the craftiest person and while Vicky was smart, she can get carried away when doing experiments, then things will blow up.

Brain wasn’t really looking forward to it but he did say he would be there and Amira would drag him there if he tried to escape. So, with a heavy (undead) heart he headed towards the cafeteria to have lunch with his friends. Amira and Vicky were already at a table before Brian arrived. After grabbing lunch and sitting down at the table Brian started to eat his lunch while Amira and Vicky were chatting excitedly about something, he wasn’t really interested to know what they were saying.

As Brian was peacefully eating his lunch, he noticed a shadow monster wearing a yellow cardigan at the corner of the room. It was Oz. He was just standing there doing nothing as he seems to be deep in thought for some reason. Is he looking for a table to sit at? Brian wasn’t sure if Oz can even eat, since he doesn’t have a mouth. There was still an empty seat at their table. Maybe he should invite Oz to sit with them. But that would mean having him sit with Amira and Vicky, would he be okay?

“Yo, Brian. Whatcha looking at?” Amira tried to trace his line of sight. “Is there something interesting at that corner? You’ve been staring there for a while now.”

“Huh? I just spotted a friend.” Brian raised a brow. Can she not see Oz? He clearly stands out just standing there at the corner thinking.

“Where!? which one!?” Vicky turned to the corner with her hands saluting to scan the crowed.

“Uuuh… the one in the corner.” Brian just looked in Oz’s direction.

“WHERE!? There’s nobody there Brian!” Vicky turned to Brian as she pointed at Oz.

“Yeah, I don’t see anyone there.” Amira pointed her thumb towards Oz too.

Brian was severely confused. Are they messing with him? They’re clearly pointing at Oz.

“Brian are you day dreaming?” Vicky tilted her head, a look of worry on her face. “There’s nobody there.”

“No, he’s right there.” Brian pointed at Oz. “Pitch black shadow guy wearing a yellow cardigan. Can you guys not see him?”

Amira and Vicky looked back at the corner and a look of shock appeared on their faces.

“Holy Shit! Someone really is there!” Amira turned back to Brian. “I swear he wasn’t there before!”

“Yeah! He really wasn’t there before!” Vicky said in agreement.

Brian wasn’t sure if he should tell them Oz was there all along. They seemed pretty freaked out, so they definitely weren’t messing with him. He’s not even sure how it’s possible for them to not see Oz. It’s probably better to just brush it off for now.

“Sooo… anyway. I was wondering if it would be okay to invite him to sit with us.”

“Oh, uh. Sure.” Vicky shook her head as if it to literally shake off her earlier shock. “I’m curious to meet this mysterious friend of yours!”

“Y-yeah! I don’t mind either.” Amira was still a bit shaken by the conversation shift.

It wasn’t what he really meant but at least they’re fine with it. Brian wonders if it’s still a good idea to invite Oz over here. He’s somehow still stuck in that thinking position all this time. What the hell was he thinking about in the cafeteria corner?

“Aren’t you going to go get him?” Vicky looked at Brian with expectation in her eyes for some reason.

“Ummm yeah, I’ll do that in just a bit.”

“Oooh, why? Are you worried we’ll embarrass you in front of your new friend?” Amira said in a teasing tone. “Don’t worry, we’ll even try and make you look cool.” She gently elbowed Brian.

“It’s not that.” Brian sighed. “I just don’t want you two to scare him off.”

“What? We’re not gonna be mean! Why would we scare him off!?” Vicky huffed.

“I didn’t mean it like that. It’s just that… he’s a shy guy. So, don’t go and start asking him a dozen invasive questions when you meet.” Brian eyed the two of them.

“Aww… don’t worry Brian! We’ll be super nice to him.” Vicky gave a wide smile.

“Yeah, you’re the scariest looking one out of us anyway. I’m sure he’ll be fine.” Amira said jokingly.

That actually stung a little. Brian was about to go, when he remembered something he should probably mention first.

“I almost forgot to mention but, he talks using telepathy so, be prepared for that.”

With that said he went and approached Oz who was still thinking in the corner, leaving his friends baffled yet again. Apparently, Oz was actually just thinking in the corner. Not sure what he was thinking about but Brian won’t pry when Oz already seems to be nervous. He brought Oz to their table and of course Vicky jumped on him immediately.

His friends kept showering Oz with questions that Brian had to keep interrupting them. At least Oz didn’t seem too bothered by it, even though he’s not really saying much. Vicky tried to secretly ask Oz questions when he was busy fending off Amira, but she never can keep her voice down when she’s excited. But then Vicky put Brian on the spot by calling him out on never introducing them to any other friends (regardless if he does have some or not). Thankfully Oz changed the subject.

Brian wasn’t sure if he did that on purpose or not, but Oz just saved him from a very awkward conversation. Things were going well for the most part until Vicky asked Oz what was his next class. It was Trap Manufacture. Brian had forgotten about it since he saw Oz, now the dread he felt about a certain explosion happening came back to mind. Maybe nothing would explode, but he’s not optimistic enough to believe that.

If possible, he wanted Oz to say no when Vicky invited him to go with them to the class. Regardless of what Oz’s response was he was going to be in that class with them unless he skips it, so Brian couldn’t protest much. Brian wasn’t sure why he was being a bit overprotective over Oz, he just knew that he didn’t want to see Oz looking terrified again as he was yesterday. (because he is a precious cinnamon roll that must be protected!)

Looking around the class, seeing all of the materials available, Brian was absolutely certain that something bad will happen. As Brian made sure he was a at a considerable distance away from whatever his group was making, Oz was somewhat helping out by passing them things. They made what should be a mouse trap pretty fast, it was ready for testing.

The mouse trap was placed on the floor with cheese inside to lure the mouse. The lab rat was released and it went straight for the cheese without a second thought. Brian dragged all of his friends out of the classroom without warning. Amira and Vicky were about to protest but a loud boom and the sound of zapping was heard from within the classroom.

Amira, Vicky, and Brian peeked inside the classroom after the sound of zapping died down, Oz stayed back not sure if it was safe yet. The room was destroyed, some of their classmate’s dead, and the only thing left of the rat was a splotch of blood. Not wanting to be held responsible for the destruction they told Oz class was dismissed and got away from the scene as soon as possible.

For some reason Vicky insisted that they all spend the rest of the period at the library. Brian thought she was being a bit more pushy than usual to do something so mundane. Normally they’d all go their separate ways after causing accidental damage so it was definitely strange. It wasn’t a big deal but still odd. Oz agreed to Vicky’s suggestion so they all spent the rest of their time at the library.

Having predicted the explosion, Brian felt tired after all the tension left him. The library was quiet and there was a comfy looking corner to sleep at so that’s where Brian went. He instantly fell asleep once he sat down. In the middle of his sleep, he felt like his body was falling, but surprisingly it didn’t end with pain from falling to the floor as it usually did. It’s happened to him often enough that he’s used to it.

The sensation of falling had made him only half asleep. Brian opened his eyes and saw a book with poems written in it. Only being half conscious Brian blurted out what he thought without expecting an answer. Oz’s voice spoke in his mind with that uncertain phrase he says so much. Brian wondered if Oz knew he found it amusing, but the voice that answered him seemed confused. Drowsiness finally taking over, he fell back into sleep.

The voice of Vicky shouting jolted Brian awake. It didn’t feel like much time has passed and he was still pretty sleepy. Vicky rushed out of the library for some reason, even though according to Oz it was still 10 minutes until the bell rang. His friends had left him and Brian was still sleepy. It would be great to get more sleep now that the noisy people have left.

Oz had nonchalantly offered up his shoulder for Brian to sleep on. This sudden bold move made Brian realize that he was probably leaning on Oz’s shoulder the entire time he was sleeping. The heat raised on his face as Brian turned away and declined Oz’s offer, being fully awake now. Brian started to think that Oz wasn’t as shy as he appeared at first.

Now being fully awake, Brian didn’t really have anything to do. Curious on why he was woken up in the first place, Brian asked Oz on why Vicky was shouting. Apparently, Oz doesn’t have a phone. His first thought was, how is that even possible!? Followed by how do you survive without one!? Brian kept his thoughts to himself as it seems that Oz really didn’t see the need for one. It was kind of disappointing.

Brian finally asked Oz on what he thinks about his friends. It seems like they’re hyper and intense personalities didn’t bother Oz, which was a relief. Brian wanted to ask on what Oz thought about him, but it was too embarrassing to ask about himself, so in the end he said nothing more. They went their separate ways and he didn’t even know if he’ll see Oz again anytime soon.

* * *

**Present Date**

Brian was still laying down on the grass. The sky has gone dark, the stars were visible and the moon was shining brightly. School was probably about to end. Brian wondered if Oz was in class or if he went off somewhere to be alone like he does sometimes. They’d have to warn him about Damien and Vera sooner or later. It would be better if Oz was in a positive mood. Brian’s phone vibrated, it made him kind of nervous considering the last message news he got from Amira.

**_Color Crew Group Chat_**

**Vicky:** Hey guys!

 **Vicky:** Wanna go hang out at the mall after this?

 **Amira:** Hell yeah!

 **Brian:** I donno

 **Vicky:** C’mon Brian!

 **Vicky:** HANG OUT WITH US!

 **Brian:** Only if Oz comes

 **Amira:** Oh yeah

 **Amira:** Where is Oz?

 **Vicky:** OZ ANSWER THE CHAT!

 **Amira:**!?!?!?!!?!!!!

 **Oz:** Sorry guys.

 **Vicky:** OZ YOU’RE OKAY!

 **Oz:** Why wouldn’t I be?

 **Vicky:** Nothing, just making sure.

 **Vicky:** So, are you coming?

 **Oz:** I can’t go tonight.

 **Brian:** Why?

 **Amira:** If it’s to go on one of your strolls then cancel it

 **Vicky:** Yeah! Come with us Oz!

 **Oz:** Sorry, I have a meeting tonight and I can’t decline. Maybe we can go tomorrow if you’re all still up for it. But I just can’t tonight.

 **Amira:**!?

 **Vicky:**!?

 **Oz:** I’m really sorry!

 **Amira:** WHO ARE YOU MEETING

 **Oz:** I can’t really tell. Not yet at least. I’m really sorry!

 **Vicky:** Oz, we’re not mad.

 **Oz:** You’re not?

 **Amira:** WERE NOT

 **Vicky:** No, we’re just surprised.

 **Oz:** Oh, okay. I’m still sorry though.

 **Vicky:** It’s alright.

 **Vicky:** Are you coming back tonight?

 **Oz:** Actually, I’m not really sure.

 **Amira:** WAIT

 **Amira:** ARE YOU GOING ON A DATE

 **Vicky:** Is it actually a date!?

 **Oz:** It is definitely not a date. Like I said. It’s a meeting.

 **Oz:** I better get going or I’ll be late. See you guys later!

**_Crisis Group Chat_ **

**Amira:** OMG YOU GUYS

 **Amira:** I CANT TELL IF THIS IS GOOD OR BAD

 **Vicky:** Amira, calm down!

 **Vicky:** Brian! Are you still there?

 **Amira:** Oh yeah

 **Amira:** He hasn’t said anything for a while now

 **Vicky:** BRIAN!

 **Amira:** BRIAN

 **Vicky:** I think we lost him.

 **Amira:** OMG WHAT SHOULD WE DO

 **Vicky:** I’m not even sure.

 **Amira:** CMON VICKY YOURE THE SMART ONE

 **Amira:** WHAT SHOULD WE DO ABOUT OZ

 **Vicky:** There’s nothing we can do.

 **Vicky:** He didn’t tell us where he went.

 **Amira:** SO WHAT NOW

 **Vicky:** Let’s go find Brian.

 **Amira:** OH YEAH BRIAN WHERE ARE YOU

 **Vicky:** I mean physically find him.

 **Vicky:** He won’t hear your text.

 **Amira:** Oh right

 **Amira:** Where do you think he is

 **Vicky:** He should be somewhere around school.

 **Vicky:** I’ll go check around the football field and gymnasium.

 **Vicky:** You check around the classes and library.

 **Vicky:** We’ll check the auditorium last.

 **Amira:** ROGER!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally out of the past and might actually continue the plot XD


	10. At The BAR

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oz goes to meet someone. The rest of the Color Crew are extremely confused.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did it again. I kept writing and didn't know how to end it XP

Oz was at a shady area downtown. At least it feels shady, he’s sure there was a drug deal happening on the alleyway he just passed by. Oz kept checking his phone as he walked through the streets looking around each street sign hoping he doesn’t get lost. He wasn’t terrible at reading maps, it’s just a lot more difficult than navigating through the shadows.

Earlier that day, Oz received a text from an unknown number after lunch. Oddly enough, it wasn’t the usual scam bots trying to get you to transfer money or make dubious loans. It was worse! A vague ominous threat with a location map telling him to go there. While Oz wasn’t so gullible to believe threats from random unknown numbers, some things the text mentions indicate that it was specifically written for Oz.

Although Oz has adapted to the modern age and uses the internet just as much as anyone else on a daily basis. He has the same amount of online presents as he does in real life, barely any. Oz certainly never publicly displayed his phone number anywhere, so the sudden unknown threat made him panic. Being in a panicked state, all of his logical thinking was gone and the first thing he did was chuck his phone into the void thinking it will make the problem disappear.

Realizing moments later that the void doesn’t actually do anything to inanimate objects, let alone erase events of reality, Oz fished the phone back out. Should he follow the unknown number’s instructions? He could just ignore it and hope it was just another bot… nope, this is definitely a real threat. That was all Oz was certain about at this point.

The text didn’t actually say anything terrible will happen to him if he didn’t follow it, it just said: Come to this location by 9:15 PM. I know where you live. If you don’t show up with that yellow cardigan of yours, who knows what’ll happen.

The worst threat of them all, AN EMPTY THREAT! Just when he had a calm relaxing time off, he’s greeted back with the terror of not knowing what he’s actually being threatened with. What did they want? Why did they text him? Is this a trap? Did he piss someone off by accident? Did the internet become sentient and is targeting him? Will the apartment explode if he didn’t show up on time? Many questions filled his mind.

Oz deiced in the end that following what the text wanted was less stressful than thinking about what could possibly happen if he didn’t. He thought about telling his friends but he didn’t want to make them worried over something that might or might not be dangerous. Some of his wild speculation had made him paranoid, maybe his phone was hacked and the text sender knows everything he types. Not wanting to risk it, he avoided using his phone for the rest of the day.

When his friends started using the group chat, he was still pretty wary about responding, but it would be rude not to respond. Oz was glad that text didn’t transfer nervousness, he mostly looked calm in the guise of text. For a second Oz thought Vicky had somehow found out about the mysterious text, but it wasn’t the time yet so that probably wasn’t the case.

Not wanting to tip off the possible hacker, he just told his friends he had a meeting. At least he hopes he did, since that would be one of the better outcomes of what could possibly happen. It somehow translated to him having a date which he had to clarify, it certainly wasn’t a date. Oz ended the chat after that, heading towards where the location map told him to.

He finally arrived at a bricked building that had a sign that says BAR above the door, a buff lizardman seems to be guarding the door. There were no windows on the building so Oz couldn’t see what was inside. This should be the place, but now that he’s here he doesn’t know what to do. Should he go inside? Can he go inside? Is he supposed to wait outside of the building? Maybe he can ask the unknown number what to do.

 **Oz:** Excuse me. Should I wait outside or go inside BAR?

 **Unknown:** You’re already here?

 **Oz:** Yes.

Unknown didn’t answer after that. Did he make them mad by coming a bit early!? The lack of response made Oz panic again. He started to pace back and forth wondering if he should try and ask again or if it was better to just wait to see what happens. As he was pacing, a voice shouted at his direction.

“HEY YOU!” It was the buff lizardman bouncer.

Oz looked around the area, there doesn’t seem to be anyone else he could be shouting at. Oz pointed at himself as he turned back to the lizardman.

“YEAH YOU! COME HERE!”

Confused on what’s going on, Oz nervously walked towards the lizardman. Did he do something, again? It was probably the pacing, not sure why that would be a problem for a bouncer but it probably was the pacing. When Oz reached the lizardman bouncer, he opened the door revealing what looked like a reception area that was empty. Oz just stood still and tilted his head still confused.

“What? Are you waiting for an invitation? Just get inside and go left. I won’t hold this door all night.” The lizardman said with an annoyed look on his face.

Not wanting to aggravate the bouncer, Oz went inside BAR and followed his instructions to go left. The whole building was certainly not a bar, it was more like a small apartment building with many rooms. At the end of the hallway he was walking through, there were stairs that went down. Not having any other obvious direction to go to, Oz walked down the stairs.

When he reached the bottom, there was a huge refrigerator that could possibly fit 3 bodies inside. Not even sure what he was doing anymore, Oz tried to open the fridge and it revealed a casino on the other side. It wasn’t huge but there were 3 card tables, 2 roulettes, a couple of slot machines and a bar. Scanning the room, all of the monsters there looked like mobsters or businessmen. At a lounge table near the bar, Oz spotted the familiar figure of a gorgon. It was Vera Oberlin.

Seeing someone familiar made Oz feel a little calmer. It’s not odd to see Vera at a place like this when she’s such an ambitious business woman. She was talking with a shark in what looks like a heated conversation. Oz was awkwardly standing in front of the closed fridge door. He wasn’t sure if it was okay to sit somewhere. Nobody was paying attention to him so he slowly walked towards the closest empty seat and sat there quietly. Oz checked his phone to see if unknown finally replied but there was still nothing. Maybe they were busy.

* * *

Vicky was at the football field searching for Brian. Her zombie friend suddenly went radio silent in the middle of a group chat. It wasn’t rare for Brian to not answer his texts for a long time, usually because he was sleeping. But he never just dropped out of a conversation before. This made Vicky worry. She searched under the bleachers, around the field, and even in the changing lockers, but no sign of Brian. Vicky was about to head towards the gym when she heard someone calling her name.

“VICKY!”

She turned around to see an adorably handsome werewolf running her way, it was Scott.

“Hi, Scott!” Vicky greeted Scott cheerfully. “What are you doing here? There’s no football practice today.”

“I’m looking for Pokemans!” Scott showed his phone to Vicky. “Are you looking for Pokemans too Vicky?”

“I’m not looking for Pokemans, Scott.” Vicky giggled. “I am looking for Brian, though. Have you seen him anywhere today?”

“OOOO! I can help!” Scott’s tail wagged.

“Really!? That would be great!”

“Leave it to me! I can sniff him out in no time!” Scott started to seriously sniff around. “He’s that way!”

Scott started to run off and Vicky followed right behind him. After running back and forth from the locker rooms because Brian’s scent was there, Scott finally ran towards the outdoor bathrooms. Scott stopped running when he spotted Brian a few feet away.

“Vicky look! I found Brian!” Scott pointed at Brian.

“Good job Scott! You’re a good boy!” Vicky gave him a thumbs up.

“YAY! I’m a good boy!”

The both of them jogged towards Brian. He was just laying down on the ground not moving an inch and his eyes were opened staring at the night sky. At least all of his limbs are intact, Vicky though he might have lost his arms again or something.

“Brian! We found you!” Scott said excitedly.

“Hey Brian. We were looking all over for you.” Vicky said softly.

Brian didn’t say anything and remained silent not moving at all.

“Vicky, what’s wrong with Brian? He isn’t moving.” A shocked look appeared on Scott’s face. “IS HE DEAD!?”

“Ummm… well. D-don’t worry Scott! Brian isn’t dead. He’s just super tired today!” Vicky smiled to reassure Scott.

“Oh good. I’d be sad if Brian died.” Scott looked relieved.

“We all would, Scott. We all would.” Vicky pulled out her phone to text Amira. “Weren’t you looking for Pokemans, Scott?”

“Oh right! There was a rare pokeman back there!” Scott looked down at the still unmoving Brian. “But what about Brian?”

“Don’t worry, I’ll take care of him. You go catch those Pokemans!”

“If you say so, Vicky!”

Scott ran back to wherever that rare Pokeman was. Vicky told Amira where Brian was and sat next to him on the grass. She didn’t say anything and watched the stars as she waited for Amira to come. A few moments later Amira came running.

“VICKY! WHERE’S BRIAN!?” Amira shouted as she ran towards Vicky.

Brian’s green color scheme blended with the grass and it was dark so Amira didn’t see him from afar. Vicky saw Amira running, she waved at her then pointed to Brian who was still laying next to her. Once she saw him, Amira went straight for Brian and grabbed him by the collar and shook him.

“You jerk! Why did you suddenly go quiet!?” Amira yelled at him still shaking him.

Brian still wasn’t responding. After a few more seconds of shaking, Amira let him go, Brian just flopped back down on the grass. She stood up and started pacing back and forth.

“Seriously!? I don’t even know what’s going on anymore!” Amira scratched her head as her fire hair flickered. “Vicky! What now!?”

“I…” Vicky looked down and hugged her knees. “I don’t know.” She said in a soft voice.

Vicky’s somber voice made Amira even more confused. Not knowing what to do, Amira flopped down to the ground and followed Brian in doing nothing but stare at the sky. At some point Vicky joined them and they all just laid there not doing anything.

Amira has no idea what was even going on. Oz has a mysterious meeting the day Vera was looking into him, surely that can’t be a coincidence. If it’s true, she still doesn’t know if that’s a good or bad thing. Then Brian got all silent and even Vicky looks down. Maybe none of this would be happening if she didn’t mindlessly agree to help out Vera this morning.

Vicky was worried about her friends. Oz would probably be fine, he didn’t seem distressed during their group chat, but Oz is pretty good in seeming calm in chat. Amira would blame herself if whatever is going on with Oz has to do with Vera. She wasn’t sure what’s wrong with Brian but it probably has something to do with worrying about Oz too. Vicky wants to cheer them up but there’s nothing she can do right now when they don’t know where Oz is.

Brian wasn’t thinking of anything. He stopped thinking a while ago. Things were happening too fast and nothing made sense. There was too much too process and he didn’t want to deal with it, so he just shut his brain off. He thinks he heard some sounds around him but he didn’t want to think yet, so he didn’t.

* * *

Oz has been sitting alone in the underground casino for the past 15 minutes. Unknown isn’t texting him back and nothing in particular is happening to him. When he glanced at Vera’s table a few times it looks like she was still arguing with the shark. Everyone else there were either drinking or gambling. Oz just sat there and observed the surroundings as he wondered why he’s even here.

For a moment Oz thought that probably Vera was the one that texted him but she’s busy. Anyone that saw Oz didn’t really pay much attention to him and went on to do whatever they were doing. Could the threatening text have been a prank after all? Or is he being haunted by an annoying ghost that doesn’t do any actual harm and just fucks with you like in those terrible horror movies? If it was neither of those Oz can’t really think of why nothing is happening yet.

He wondered if he should order a drink since he’s here. But would they even let him buy something? There was a bouncer guarding the entrance to the building but would they let anyone inside do whatever or were they members of some underground group? Nobody was staring at him even though he feels out of place. Maybe it’s fine? Maybe in another 10 minutes if nothing happens. A few minutes pass by, Vera suddenly approached Oz and sat on the seat in front of him.

“I apologies to have kept you waiting. I didn’t except you to be so punctual and arrive early.” Vera greeted Oz.

 _“Oh…ummm… that’s fine?”_ Oz looked over to the table Vera was at with the shark still there. _“It looked like you were busy.”_

“Yes, that.” Vera scowled. “I had some business to take care of here with that loan shark, which is why I made this our meeting place.”

Oz wasn’t sure what she was talking about at first but it seems like Vera was the one that sent him the threatening text. He wondered if she meant to threaten him or it was just how she invited strangers. Vera took out a piece of paper and slid it towards Oz on the table.

“I’d like you to fill in that form.” Vera gave off a sly smile.

Looking at the piece of paper, it had a lot of general questions written on it. Like that of an online profile application form. Oz raised a brow and looked back at Vera.

_“You texted me… and made me come here… just to fill in this form?”_

“Do you have a problem with that?” Vera glared at him.

 _“N-no… it’s just… couldn’t you just ask me to do this at school?”_ Oz said nervously.

“I’m a very busy woman.” Vera bluntly stated.

_“Yeah, I guess that’s true.”_

A phobia appeared on his arm and handed him a pen, which Oz used to start filling out the form. He wasn’t really sure why Vera wanted him to answer these normal questions, but it wasn’t an issue for him so he filled them out. Oz was stumped when it asked what his favorite food was. He didn’t really eat food and while he consumed fear, he wouldn’t really call it his favorite food.

“Is there something wrong?” Vera glanced at the paper.

_“Not really. I just don’t think I have a favorite food.”_

“Then you can just leave it blank.”

Having Vera’s permission to leave it blank, Oz went back to filling out the form. None of the questions were actually too personal or specific in his opinion and thankfully it doesn’t look like some contract in disguise. He’d like to know what this form is actually for but she probably won’t tell him even if he asked. Vera just stared at Oz as he wrote.

“I must admit, I’m surprised you waited here.” Vera pulled out her phone looking at the time. “I figured you’d run off after a few minutes here.”

_“I’m very patient.” And was too scared on what would happen if I leave without an explanation._

“That wasn’t what… never mind.” Vera pocketed her phone.

The gorgon was intrigued by the monster sitting in front of her. He seemed so quiet and plain looking she didn’t expect him to actually show up. Of course, she’d follow up on her threat if that actually happened. Vera had saw Oz when he entered the room since she was the one that informed the bouncer to let him in. Since she made him wait way past the appointed time, she was going to give him a pass if he left before Vera finished her meeting. Yet, here he was.

Oz was done filling in the form so he slid it over to Vera. She scanned the paper and tucked it away. That should be enough info to sell to Damien, if he hasn’t changed his mind that is. Now that Vera had the person of interest with her, there were a lot of other questions she hoped he’d tell her. The reason this was where she decided to meet him was to have the homefield advantage in case he tries to escape.

“Now Oz, there are some other questions I’d like you to answer for me.” Vera twirled her arm around one of her snake hairs.

Oz sighed in his mind. Of course, there was more to this. He was invited by Vera Oberlin, she usually has an agenda in mind.

_“Ummm sure. If I can answer.”_

“Excellent.” Vera pulled out a notepad. “First of all, how come nobody’s seen you aside from a handful of monsters?”

_“Oh… that. Uuuuh… I can seem invisible to anyone that doesn’t know me.”_

“What do you mean? You can turn invisible?”

_“No, I can’t really turn invisible. It’s more like others can’t perceive me unless they already know what I look like or know what they’re looking for. I can seem invisible to strangers if I wanted to but it won’t work on those that already know me.”_

Vera was slightly taken aback. Not by the information but by how much he was talking in a clam manner in what sounds like crucial information. If she was nice, she’d ask him if it was alright for him to be leaking such important info. But no, she’ll take any advantage she can get, Vera jotted down what Oz said.

“Alright, next question. Are you really roommates with Amira Rashid, Brian Yu, and Vicky Schmidt?”

While Vera doesn’t think Amira was lying to her, since she did get Oz’s number from Damien’s phone, it was best to fact check her sources. Oz’s eyes grew wide in surprise for a second hearing the mention of his friend’s names but then he remembered who he was talking to.

_“Yes.”_

“Then how come your name isn’t listed on the lease?”

_“It’s… less complicated that way.”_

Vera jotted down the confirmation with additional note. Apparently, his roommates are generous enough to let him share the apartment without being a legal tenant that has to pay rent. Regardless if he actually pays them rent or not, that’s a pretty odd arrangement when the rest of them are officially listed.

“Next will be the last question. When did you first meet Damien?”

_“Damien?”_

“Yes, Damien. Damien LaVey. You do know him, don’t you?”

_“Y-yes, I do. I just wasn’t expecting his name to come up. Ummm, I met him yesterday morning during Theater.”_

“Just yesterday?”

_“Yes, technically.”_

“What do you mean ‘technically’?”

_“You know, the whole invisible thing.”_

“Oh, right. That was a thing with you… hold on. Then, how did he see you yesterday?”

_“Uuuh… I turned off my invisibility in the past 2 days. You also saw me 2 days ago.”_

“I… I see.”

As Vera jotted down something on her notebook, Oz wondered what all this questioning was for. The questions were fairly harmless and while the first one was quite personal, it didn’t really matter since he wasn’t planning on going stealth mode again anytime soon. Thinking on it, Vera was very smart and gathers a lot of information. Perhaps this was all just some simple intel gathering. He’d certainly be curious if he met someone he can’t find info on, although Oz isn’t sure if his social life was worth investigating since it barely existed.

Vera had finished writing and put away her notepad. Then she pulled out a manilla envelope and slid it to Oz. He took the oddly thick envelope and opened it, there was money inside. Oz looked at Vera with confusion.

“Take it. I was going to give that to Amira but she refused my offer.” Vera said with a wave of her hand.

_“Y-you asked Amira about me?”_

“Yes, although she was very adamant in refusing to tell me everything she knows about you.”

_“Oh… are you mad at her?”_

“Not particularly. While she did refuse to tell me everything, she gave me enough hints and clues that I’ll let it slide.”

Oz let out a silent sign of relief in his mind. It would be terrible if Vera was mad at Amira because of him. He wasn’t really sure what their relationship was but Amira had been hanging out with Vera more often lately. At least Vera isn’t mad at her but it sounds like things would be awkward between them. How would Amira react if he told her that Vera had directly asked him what she wanted from her. That’s going to be a really awkward conversation waiting to happen. Maybe he shouldn’t have followed the text.

While Oz was having an internal dilemma on how he should tell his friends what happened tonight, since he was sure they’d start asking him questions when he goes back to the apartment, Vera had turned away from him and was looking at one of the card tables. The loan shark she was talking to earlier is playing poker. Her face scowled when the loan shark laughed, probably from winning.

“You can leave now. We’re done here.” Vera said still looking at the loan shark.

Her voice snapped Oz out of his thoughts. He can leave now but he didn’t really want to yet. If possible, he’d like to delay the inevitable for as long as he could. Plus, Oz was genuinely curious about this underground casino he somehow ended up in. Being reclusive as he was, he hasn’t really visited many unusual places using his physical form. Vera realized that Oz hasn’t moved, she turned to look at him with eyes that said “Aren’t you leaving?”.

 _“Oh… ummm…”_ Oz looked away avoiding eye contact.

“What is it?” Vera said sternly.

_“I… was wondering… if it would be alright to…”_

“Just spit it out already!” Vera’s hair started to hiss in irritation.

 _“I-I j-just wanted to know i-if it would be alright f-for me to play.”_ Oz stuttered out, visibly shaking.

It took a moment for Vera to understand what he was saying. Her hissing snakes calmed down.

“You want to gamble here?” Vera had a skeptical look on her face.

 _“I-if it’s alright.”_ Oz fidgets, clutching the manila envelope he was still holding.

“Sure… the cashier is over there.” Vera pointed towards the cashier across the room.

She watched Oz gingerly walked towards the cashier to exchange money for chips. This was an unexpected turn of events, but so was the rest of the day. While Vera’s questioning with Oz had gone smoothly, the night hasn’t really been the best. She was still bitter from her pervious meeting with the loan shark. Negotiations had broken down and she gained nothing out of the meeting.

For a while Oz was just walking around the casino watching other patrons gambling, every now and then some little blobs popped out and watched along with him. Vera was starting to doubt that he was actually going to gamble. There were some additional questions Vera wanted to ask now that she processed his answers but it was simply some things she found curious, it wouldn’t benefit her to know so she won’t ask him now.

After enough watching, Oz walked towards the Blackjack table. It seems like he’s actually joining a round and placed a bet. As Oz placed all the chips he had on the table, Vera stood up not believing what she’s seeing. She though he was a more sensible monster that wouldn’t stupidly bet everything at once on his first play. It didn’t really matter how he wasted money, but he’s using money that Vera just gave him, the thought infuriates her already bitter mood.

If she knew beforehand that Oz was going to go all in from the start Vera would have yelled at him. But now that the bets are placed and the round began, there was nothing she could do to stop it. Vera sat back down, looked down and massaged her temples. She couldn’t stand to watch him lose her money. Is he stupid or does he not know how gambling works? If he’s just trying to look cool, that’s even more stupid. A few moments later Oz went back to his seat in front of her.

 _“V-vera? Are you alright?”_ Oz sounds concerned.

She’s like to snap back at him but it sounds like he’s genuinely worried and he was very nervous in asking permission to gamble. It’s not like getting mad at him will bring the money back anyway.

“It’s just been a stressful day.” Vera let out an exasperated sigh.

 _“Oh… ummm… business not going well?”_ Oz asked gingerly.

Vera leaned on the table and tapped her fingers. Oz did help her out the last time she complained to him. Even though he didn’t seem to notice it, maybe he can help her out again.

“Remember how I said I had some business with a loan shark?” Oz gave a nod. “As you can probably guess, it didn’t go well. Just because I’m not a 40-year-old man with a scary scar he thinks anything I said wasn’t worth consideration. As if any of that matters when I’m clearly already more successful than any of the idiots gambling here taking loans from him!”

_“That’s… too bad.”_

“Such a waste of time. If I knew he was going to be unreasonable I wouldn’t have bothered drawing up a plan that would benefit us both and just plan how to ruin his business.” Vera glared at the loan shark that was far away.

Oz followed her line of sight and saw the shark that was arguing with Vera earlier. It looks like he has a lot of chips on his side and is playing poker. After a moment of glaring at him Vera turned back to Oz.

“By the way. Why did you come back here?”

 _“Oh, right.”_ Oz placed something on the table and slid it to Vera. _“I wanted to return this.”_

Vera looked down as saw a small stack of chips equal to the amount of money she gave him. If this is here, then that means Oz somehow won that round of Blackjack where he bet all his chips on. She has no idea why he’d return the amount she gave him, though. Vera looked at Oz confused.

_“W-well, I didn’t really expect to get paid just for answering questions. And since we’re at a casino I just thought… this would make it even?”_

Oz wasn’t really sure what he was saying. He just thought the information he gave her wasn’t worth paying for, so he’d like to give the money back, but it would be rude to decline the payment. Doubling the money and splitting it would benefit Oz and make zero loss for Vera.

“So, you bet it all knowing you were going to win?” Vera chuckled as she took the chips of the table. “I’m sure you could have won a lot more if you’re that good.”

 _“That… would make me stand out.”_ Oz said sheepishly.

“That’s a shame. It would have been lovely if you played poker with that dick of a shark and squeezed all the money out of him.” Vera glared back at the shark. “Unfortunately, that prick is a pretty darn good poker player. I played a few rounds with him before and he didn’t lose even once.”

 _“Hmmm… I suppose that’s doable.”_ Oz cupped his chin deep in thought.

“What? You can actually beat him at poker?” Vera turned to Oz.

_“N-no. I’m not that good at poker.”_

“Then what’s doable?”

_“Squeezing the money out of him though poker.”_

“You’re not making any sense.”

_“Ummm… what I meant was… if you don’t mind cheating, I can help you win at playing poker against him.”_

“Oh? And what would you do exactly?”

_“Tell you what everyone’s cards are.”_

“While that sounds great. How on earth could you tell me the cards of other players without being caught?”

Oz placed a finger in front of his nonexistent lips and gave her a wink. Understanding what he meant a sly smile appeared on Vera’s face.

“You’re surprisingly cunning. But if we’re actually going to do this, surely you aren’t helping me for out of the kindness of your heart.”

Oz hadn’t really considered it. He was just throwing out a suggestion. Although unlike the questioning, this is something that he should be paid for.

_“How about we make a deal if the plan works out? If you lose, I’ll pay you back.”_

“That’s a pretty bold claim. You better keep your word and pay up if this doesn’t pan out.”

Vera walked over to the cashier to exchange more money (through wire transfer) for chips. She’ll be playing Texas hold’em aka no-limit-poker with the loan shark. Oz was back to wandering around looking at other people gamble. Vera was a bit skeptical on how well this would actually work but Oz sounded oddly confident. The thought of stealing the loan shark’s money through winning at a game he’s good at just sounded too perfect to say no to.

She sat at the poker table the loan shark was sitting at once a new game started. The loan shark sheered at her, Vera ignored it in favor of focusing on the game. A crowed of onlookers was gathered around the table but none of them was Oz. On top of that, all the players were pro poker players so they didn’t foolishly hold up their cards to be easily seen by someone. Vera herself was fairly good at poker but it didn’t look like it was going to be as easy to win.

Suddenly Oz started telling her what cards everyone else had. When Vera glanced at the other players, all of their cards were either faced down or completely covered by their hands. She has no idea how Oz could possibly know what they are when he doesn’t appear to be anywhere close but she decided to trust it. The game went on, with each card dealt around, Oz informed Vera what cards everyone got.

In the end, Vera and the loan shark went on a high-stake showdown and kept rising the bet until they both bet all-in. Vera already knew she was going to win so she put on a strained look to seem as if she’s pushing her luck. Monsters in the crowd cheered upon Vera’s declared victory over the unbeatable loan shark. The soul crushing look that was on the loan shark’s face when he lost was delicious.

Vera took her winnings and exchanged them immediately. Now she was richer, crushed the spirit of an enemy and improved her cred as a poker player, things are turning out well tonight. Oz was back at their table looking as inconspicuous as ever. Vera walked toward him with a huge satisfied smile on her face.

 _“Congrats on winning!”_ Oz softly clapped along with some of the little blobs on his shoulder.

“Indeed, it was a flawless victory.” Vera said proudly. “So, what did you want for your services?”

 _“If… you don’t mind. I’d like 30% of the profit and a favor.”_ Oz rubbed the back of his neck.

“A favor?”

* * *

Oz had received his 30% cut from Vera in cash. When he got out of BAR, he chucked the duffle bag filled with money into the void. Now Oz was on his way back to the apartment. It’s past midnight and he’s walking as slowly as possible still thinking on how he should explain what happened tonight. It’s pretty late, would everyone be awake when he gets back? Would it be okay to delay it until morning? He did make it seem pretty mysterious in text, Vicky would certainly demand some answers as soon as possible.

**_Color Crew Group Chat_ **

**Oz:** Hey, is anyone still awake?

There was no reply. Perhaps everyone already went to sleep. They usually stay up until 3AM most of the time but there are days when everyone was very tired that they’d go to bed early. He wonders if they ended up going to the mall, Amira and Vicky were pretty hyped up about it. Brian didn’t seem like he was in the mood to go. Oz hoped they had fun. He continued to slowly walk back figuring out what words to say.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I too would like to shut off my brain. I was so confused on what I even wanted to write.  
> One thing turned into another and more twists and turns were added to make the story and myself confused on what's going on lol  
> p.s. I don't know how to play poker.


	11. Always There

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oz tries to calm everyone down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is what happens when I listen to Will Stetson's english cover of Charles on loop: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYsQxrL-hG8  
> I feel like I wrote this more sloppily than usual XP

Vicky was curled up in bed under the blankets. She tried to sleep but she can’t stop thinking. Oz should be fine, right? He just said he was meeting with someone. He’s just making new friends. I just wanted all of us to have the best time ever when prom comes. I wanted to help everyone be happy. He’ll be happier if he could go with a date. We’ll all go with dates and have a great time.

Or is everything my fault? Oz said he’s trying to socialize more, but is that all? Maybe he’s forcing himself to do it because I pressured him. He’s been fine all this time without making any new friends. Now that he’s trying to make new friends more people notice him. He’s attracting the attention of some dangerous monsters.

Amira wouldn’t have had to deal with Vera asking her questions about Oz if she never met him. He wouldn’t have talked to her if it wasn’t for my suggestion. I bet Brian is super worried about Oz since he’s never talked to so many different people on his own. He wouldn’t be doing that if I didn’t mention bringing dates to prom. This is all my fault. If only I didn’t say anything. If only I didn’t insist on it. If only I was fine with the way things were. If only I wasn’t selfish.

Will they start to blame me? Will they start to dislike me? Will they start to hate me? Will we stop being friends? Will they all leave me? Is there really nothing I can do to make this better? Is she just not trying hard enough? The questions and self doubt plagued her mind and wouldn’t go away.

The sound of the bedroom door opening could be heard. Is it Amira? The footsteps were quiet and gentle, it probably wasn’t Amira. There was a rustling sound from across the room where Amira’s bed is. The footsteps got closer towards Vicky and the sensation of the bed dipping from extra weight could be felt at the edge of the bed.

 _“Vicky. I know you’re awake.”_ Oz’s voice said softly in her mind.

“H-hey Oz. I didn’t know you were back.” Vicky’s small muffled voice came through the blanket covering her.

_“Yeah, I just got back a while ago. Amira told me what happened.”_

“Then you should go check on Brian.”

_“As much as I’d love to do that, he’s not the one radiating an intense amount of fear.”_

Vicky sprang up from under the sheets to stare at Oz. The room wasn’t too dark thanks to the fire emanating from Amira’s hair. Oz was there sitting right next to her.

“W-what are you talking about?” Vicky’s voice cracked. “I’m totally fi-.”

Oz stopped Vicky from speaking with his finger and shook his head. When he retracted his finger, she stayed quiet and looked down with a frown on her face.

_“You did nothing wrong Vicky.”_

Vicky shuddered hearing the words.

_“I’m fine, Amira will be fine, Brian will be fine and you’ll be fine too.”_

“B-but I haven’t fixed anything yet.”

 _“And you don’t have to.”_ Oz gently nudged Vicky to lie back down. _“Now go and get some sleep. We’ll talk more in the morning if you want to.”_

Once Vicky was laid back on the bed, Oz covered her eyes with his hand. She closed her eyes and felt all the thoughts swirling in her mind slowly disappear. The sensation was soothing and familiar. After a while Vicky finally fell asleep. Oz pulled up her blanket and slowly walked out of their room, closing the door behind them.

* * *

Oz sighed to himself outside of Amira and Vicky’s room. While it’s good that he can help his friends by literally sucking most the fear out of them, he feels like he’s possibly the reason they’re in a confused and vulnerable state to begin with. Or is that just Vicky’s fear he just consumed, it’s really hard to tell sometimes. He’s pretty certain part of it was his own fear of being the cause of everyone’s panic.

He thought everyone had gone to sleep since they didn’t reply his text on the group chat. It was a huge surprise for him to be tackled the instant he stepped foot inside the apartment. Apparently, Amira was the one that tackled him. She was so worried waiting for Oz to come back, she didn’t realize her phone was out of battery.

It took a while but after Amira told Oz everything that happened, he could finally calm her down. As Oz reassured her that everything was fine, Amira visibly relaxed and then passed out once all the tension left her body. Then Oz carried her to her room and tucked her into bed before dealing with Vicky. Now that both of them were fast asleep it’s time to check on Brian.

Amira had told Oz he was in some sort of comatose state. When Oz entered their room, the lights were left on and Brian was on his bed. Taking a closer look, Brian’s eyes were still opened with a blank look on his face. If Oz didn’t know any better, he’d think the zombie was just a plain corpse. It wasn’t the first time Oz has seen this happen but the amount of time that’s passed is alarming.

Usually when this happens Brian is only unresponsive for a few minutes, possibly an hour at most. Oz dragged his desk seat next to the bed and sat there as he just stared at Brian for a while. Unlike with Amira and Vicky, Oz wasn’t sure what he should do with Brian. Normally Brian would come back to his senses on his own. But he’s been like this for over 5 hours now, surely that’s a bad sign.

_“Brian? Can you hear me?”_

Still no response. Oz is starting to worry that his friend might actually be dead.

_“BRIAN! ARE YOU THERE!? PLEASE SAY YOU’RE NOT DEAD!”_

The zombie finally blinked and groaned as he slowly sat up. Then he clutched his head due to the pain of being yelled at inside his mind finally registering. Oz was relieved to see that Brian was in fact not actually dead. Oz waited for Brian to get his bearings together since he did just shout really loud that his brain was probably rattled.

Brian could feel a stinging pain in his head, he’s not sure what’s happening. His mind was fuzzy and he can’t recall what he was doing to get this headache. After the pain subsided, Brian looked around and realized he was in his room and Oz was there too. He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to recall anything that happened.

“Ugh, how long was I out?” Brian groaned.

_“Over 5 hours. Do you remember what happened?”_

“No… wait… I think it’s coming back to me.”

The memories started to flood back to him and the last thing Brian can recall was that he was texting in the group chat while he was lying down on the grass near the bathrooms. Not being able to recall what the texts were about he reached to his pockets to grab his phone, but it wasn’t there.

“Uuuuh… I can’t find my phone.” Brian turned to Oz.

 _“Oh, here. Vicky picked it up.”_ Oz handed Brian his phone.

Brian began scrolling through his messages. Once he got through the group chat messages and also the crisis chat messages, the feeling of regret washed over him. He remembered everything and it just made him feel worse. His literal thoughtless actions made Amira and Vicky freak out when things were already confusing. Brian turned his body around and fell face flat on the bed.

 _“B-brian? Are you alright?”_ Oz said nervously.

Brian couldn’t really answer even if he wanted to since his face was buried on his pillow, so he just let out a groan that didn’t really mean anything. His previous thoughts and troubles now gone replaced with regret and disappointment. He’d shut of his brain again if it wasn’t the cause of the mess he’s now in. When he wondered how he ended up in his room, the possibilities just made him feel worse.

Not sure on what to do and worried that Brian might shut down again if left alone, Oz grabbed Brian’s shoulder and rolled him to his sides so that he’s facing Oz. Brian didn’t resist as Oz repositioned him. Seeing him blink, Oz was sure Brian was at least still conscious now. As he sat back down, Oz wasn’t sure what to say. He couldn’t sense any fear from Brian which made the current situation harder to deal with.

 _“Ummm… so do you remember what happened now?”_ Oz asked softly.

“… Yes.”

_“Will you tell me?”_

“… No.”

_“Please?”_

“No.”

_“Alright. Then would you like to know what happened after you blacked out?”_

“…………………… No.”

This will take some time. Oz leaned back on his chair as Brian didn’t say anything more. There’s not much he can do if Brian doesn’t want to talk. Oz has some guesses on what’s possibly going on, but he isn’t sure if it would be best to leave Brian alone or try and help. Brian has had his down moments and during those times Oz either gave him space or just silently stay in his company. Since it doesn’t seem like talking would work, Oz will just continue to sit there in silence.

An hour passed by with neither of them moving or saying anything. As he waited, Oz thought on everything that’s happened tonight. Amira and Vicky should be fine when morning comes, he would still have to tell them about his meeting once they wake up, he originally planned to stall for time before telling them everything, but considering the circumstances it would be better to tell them soon and put their minds at ease.

Another hour passed with neither of them doing anything. Brian was starting to feel tired of staying awake, despite the fact he was blacked out for a few hours not too long ago. If Oz wasn’t actively staring at him for the past 2 hours, he might have already fallen asleep. He could just rollover and face away from Oz but he didn’t want to move at all. He wanted to tell Oz to go away and leave him alone but it’s too late to say that now.

One more hour passed by as Oz continued to stare at Brian while he laid still in bed only blinking every now and then. Oz wondered if he said something now, would Brian respond? He was never great at breaking the ice. As someone who appreciates solitude and silence Oz would prefer to keep quiet if he was in a bad mood but he’s not sure if Brian felt the same way.

“Aren’t you bored just sitting there doing nothing?”

_“Not really.”_

Brian let out a small snort hearing the instant reply to his sudden question.

_“Are you feeling better?”_

“Just a little bit.”

Another moment of silence passed by before Brian spoke up again.

“You’re not going away, are you?”

_“Nope.”_

“I said I felt better.”

_“Just a little bit.”_

Brian let out a heavy sigh and finally pushed himself up. He got out of bed, sat on the edge facing Oz, still looking pretty lifeless and looked down.

“So… how bad is it?”

_“As far as I can tell… pretty bad.”_

“Are they alright?”

_“They’re sleeping now. I had to calm them down but they should be fine.”_

“That bad, huh.” Brian let out another sigh. “Sorry.”

While he felt relieved that Amira and Vicky are fine, Brian started to feel bad again. Not only did he freak out Amira and Vicky, it was to the point where Oz had to calm them down and clean up after him. Now Oz is wasting his time worrying about him instead of doing anything else that would probably be better.

 _“I don’t really mind but you should probably apologize to Amira and Vicky later.”_ Oz had moved from sitting in front of Brian to sit beside him on the bed. _“And while I said wasn’t going anywhere, I won’t mind leaving if that’s what you want.”_

It sounded contradictory when he just got closer. Brian turned to Oz with a confused look on his face. Oz was already looking back at him.

 _“Do you want me to leave?”_ Oz tilted his head.

“That’s…” Brian turned away and looked down again. “That’s not fair.”

 _“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”_ Oz coyly said.

“So… aren’t you going to ask?”

_“No.”_

“Then what are we doing?”

_“Hmmm… we could go back to doing nothing.”_

“You’re seriously not bored of that?”

_“I like sitting around doing nothing.”_

Brian would think he was being sarcastic if it was anybody else saying that. But Oz being Oz, he can just do nothing and be still be preoccupied somehow.

_“Or we could just talk.”_

“Talk about what?”

_“Anything at all.”_

“Even about the weather?”

_“I can work with that.”_

Of course, he could. Brian thought about what to say. He really didn’t want to talk about what happened today. Oz did say he can talk about anything and there were certainly things Brian wanted to know but couldn’t bring himself to ask out of the blue since it would be awkward. Things were already as awkward as it could get now, what could be a more perfect opportunity.

“Then… have you… ummm… well…” Brian was mumbling. “I thought you were scared of talking to strangers.”

Oz took a moment to process what Brian said before responding. _“It’s certainly nerve-wrecking but… I guess it wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be.”_

“So, you could have done it all this time?”

_“Not all this time but probably sooner if I wanted to.”_

Brian slowly laid back on the bed, his legs still dangling on the edge. Oz didn’t drastically change but Brian just never noticed he had it in him to talk to others. He had assumed things without confirming it and he caused himself to be confused. Now he has confirmation that his assumption was wrong. He could have found out long ago if he just bothered to ask.

“Have you ever thought about what things would be like if we never met?”

_“I have.”_

“What was it like?”

_“Nothing.”_

“...Uh, what?”

 _“It was like nothing.”_ Oz cupped his chin thinking on how he could elaborate. _“Ummm… like I would be back in the void with nothing. I’d quit school and just go back to how things were. Maybe occasionally going out to consume some fear but nothing else. So, it’s like nothing.”_ Oz turned to look at Brian that was lying down. _“What about you? What would things be like if we never met?”_

Hearing Oz’s answer made Brian feel anxious. Does that mean he would have preferred to stay in the void and not deal with anything? Did his meddling just make things worse for Oz? Is he just going along with it since he’s not sure on how to say no? Is saying that his way of telling Brian he’s the cause of all his troubles? Or maybe it’s like he thought before, anyone would be fine. But as fast as his unease rose it also dissipated. It felt… strange, then Brian realized that Oz was holding his hand.

 _“You know Brian, I like it here. I like being with you, Amira, and Vicky. I still like the void, it’s practically my home but if I had to choose, I’d prefer to be here. If you didn’t reach out to me, I wouldn’t be here. I’m not really good at expressing myself or even voicing out my thoughts, so I might continue to make you guys worry about me.”_ Oz gently squeezed Brian’s hand. _“I guess what I’m trying to say is, I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t want to stay.”_

Brian took in what Oz said and felt lighter. For someone who’s always nervous about the littlest things happening, Oz was oddly calm during times like this. Their little group practically had some kind of chain-reaction mental breakdown and he’s the one left taking care of them. Thinking on it now, Oz probably consumed his fear just now, which is why he calmed down pretty fast before he went into a spiral.

“How come you didn’t do this earlier?”

_“I can consume fear, I can't consume sadness or any other negative emotions.”_

“Oh.”

 _“It’s alright. I’ll always be there to consume your fears if you need me to and if it isn’t fear I’ll just be here, if you’re fine with it.”_ Oz smiled with his eyes.

Brian sat back up, they were still holding hands since Oz didn’t let go of his grip. He let out a yawn he’s been holding back.

_“Sleepy?”_

“No, just exhausted.”

_“From lying down?”_

“… Yes.”

 _“Then you should probably freshen up. You’re still in your regular clothes.”_ Oz pulled Brian up, brought him to the washroom, then pushed him inside and closed the door from the outside.

“What was that? I’m not in a hurry and it’s not even dawn yet.” Brain’s muffled voice said from behind the washroom door.

_“I just remembered something. See you later!”_

“Wait! What!?” Brian opened the door but Oz was already gone from their room.

* * *

It was around 5AM. Brian just finished taking a shower and changed into his sleepwear even though he was going to have to change again in a few hours. He wondered what happened to Oz since he went off somewhere in a hurry. Brian went out of his room and headed towards the living room. Still no sign of Oz or anyone else. He didn’t really know what he wanted to do, in the end he just sat at one of the bean bag chairs and checked his phone.

At some point Brian fell asleep on the bean bag chair. Later on, when it was morning, he was met with a rude awakening when Amira shook him and started to yell at him about what happened last night. Vicky was also there lecturing him about how much he made them worry. While he expected this sort of reaction it sure didn’t make things easier. Once they finished lecturing Brian, they finally accepted his apology.

“Oh man, now I’m hungry.” Amira’s stomach growled in time. “None of us actually ate anything last night.”

“Gosh, you’re right! We skipped dinner!” Vicky got up and started heading for the kitchen. “I should make some extra for breakfast!”

“Uuuuh… isn’t it your turn to make breakfast?” Brian looked at Amira.

“Yeah, but I’m not gonna stop Vicky from taking over.” Amira gave a cheeky grin.

Brian just shrugged. “By the way, have you seen Oz?”

“No, I haven’t seen him. I went to check your room before finding you here and he wasn’t there.” Amira looked towards the entrance. “You think he went out again?”

“I… don’t know. Maybe.”

Suddenly they both heard a shriek coming from the kitchen which was obviously Vicky’s voice. Alarmed by her shriek the two of them ran towards the kitchen.

“VICKY ARE YO-.” Amira stopped mid-sentence. “Uuuuh… what’s going on?”

The dining table was already filled with cooked food. There were waffles, eggs, bacon, and some sort of soup. It’s only been a moment since Vicky went off to the kitchen so where did all this food come from? Vicky on the other hand was tightly hugging Oz while rubbing their cheeks together. When she finally noticed Amira and Brian had entered, Vicky stopped rubbing her cheeks against Oz to face them.

“Ohmygosh you guys! Oz made us breakfast!” Vicky said excitedly.

 _“U-ummm… I’m not sure you need to be that excited.”_ Oz said meekly.

“But it’s such a rare occasion! C’mon guys let’s eat breakfast!” Vicky finally released Oz.

Everyone sat down at the dining table. Oz was nervous to find out if his food was edible or not. He only had the phobias taste test it and they aren’t really picky eaters, so they aren’t the most reliable judge of taste. Everyone had a pretty hectic night so he wanted to do something nice to try and cheer them up. Oz wasn’t even sure if the chicken crème soup he made could be paired up with the rest of the breakfast food, he thought it might be a good idea to add it if anyone didn’t have much of an appetite.

Once everyone took their first bite, they didn’t say anything and started to try and eat everything laid out on the table. Oz took it as a good sign, since that means it’s edible. Some of the phobias joined in and took some food. Oz wondered what eating food felt like, he’s a bit scared to try since his phobias already like to eat, if he develops a taste for food, they might try to snatch it from him. Soon enough all the food on the table was cleared off.

“OZ! When did you learn how to cook!” Vicky grabbed Oz by the shoulders, looking him in the eyes.

_“Ummm… I’m not sure? I’ve just seen you guys cook and some cooking shows.”_

“But it’s so good! Don’t tell me this was your first-time cooking!”

Oz looked over at the other 2 and they just nodded. He’s not sure on how to respond now. This was actually his first-time cooking. Some phobias popped up on his shoulder and nodded at Vicky, her eyes widen.

“Then what brought this on? Did you just randomly want to try and cook?” Vicky looked confused.

 _“W-well… I… just wanted to try and cheer everyone up.”_ Oz said sheepishly.

“Aww you didn’t have to do that, but thanks Oz!” Vicky hugged him again.

_“You’re welcome. A-anyway there’s something that I need to tell you guys.”_

“Oh, what is it?” Vicky released the hug.

_“Uuuuh… I thought you wanted to know about my meeting last night?”_

Everyone stiffened at the word ‘meeting’. With everything going on all of them actually forgot about that. They still haven’t told Oz about Vera either. The tension in the air grew and Oz became confused on why since he hasn’t even started telling them yet. Amira let out a cough like she was clearing her throat.

“O-oh yeah, there was something we needed to tell you too.” Amira’s voice cracked. “But feel free to go first! We’re curious on what that whole meeting thing was.”

 _“Okay… I met up with Vera.”_ Oz said bluntly.

“WHAT!?” Amira and Vicky said at the same time. Brian’s jaw just dropped (not literally).

_“Now, just to clarify. Nothing bad happened.”_

“N-nothing?” Amira asked.

_“Nothing. I guess you could say it was a business meeting. She just asked me a few questions.”_

“Really? Nothing bad happened?” Amira looks concerned.

 _“I already said nothing bad happened. Sure, she was intimidating but she didn’t threaten me or anything when asking questions.”_ Oz said nonchalantly.

Leaving out the fact that she threatened him to show up at the meeting, it was a very vague threat anyway.

 _“Oh, and she gave me this.”_ Oz slid a manilla envelope towards Amira.

Amira took the envelope and looked inside, then raise a brow to Oz “Why are you giving me this?”

_“Because that’s what Vera was going to give you for giving her information about me. Think of it as money you get for not giving her information about me.”_

“Wait. Wait. Wait. You’re telling me Vera gave you this?” Amira held up the envelope.

_“Yes.”_

“And you’re giving it to me, why?”

_“Because it could have been yours and I kind of put you in an awkward situation.”_

“Uuuuh… wait. You know Vera wanted to pay me for info on you?”

_“Yeah, she told me.”_

Everything went silent, the 3 friends had been having such a headache about the Vera situation, wondering how to break the news to Oz. But here he was giving Amira an envelope filled with cash… for the headache??? And it was money he got from Vera to boot.

“Y-you can keep it.” Amira shoved the envelope to Oz.

 _“No, it’s fine. I’m sure Vera wouldn’t care.”_ Oz pushed Amira’s hand back slowly.

“B-but it’s for you, right?” Amira tried to push the envelope again

 _“I already have enough, so don’t worry about it.”_ Oz pushed back again.

“Hmm? What do you mean you have enough?” Vicky raised a brow at Oz.

 _“She gave me some of her poker winnings since I helped. It was a lot.”_ Oz gave another shove to avoid receiving the envelope. _“T-that’s all that happened last night, so I’ll get going now.”_ Oz stood up, quickly walked out of the kitchen and disappeared.

Everyone left at the kitchen was dumbstruck trying to process what Oz told them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When official art like this exists: https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/monster-prom/images/0/00/Brian-Oz.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/1000?cb=20201116170447  
> It's been 11 chapters and not even a week has passed lol


	12. Dodging The Issue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A bit more morning troubles, Time for dodgeball, Lunch.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nothing like reading an old ancient fanfic you made to feel the cringe and more confident that anything you write now can't possibly be worse than that XD  
> p.s. The song I had on loop this time was Neo-Neon by Deco*27 ft. Hatsune Miku

It was still the same morning from last chapter because things aren’t moving slow enough as it is. Oz had climbed up the ladder to his bed and covered himself under the blankets. After being the perfect example of calm and collected when his friends were in distress, it was now his turn to be distressed. Upon reflection Oz probably should have figured it out sooner, but things finally made sense and the root of the issue was none other than himself.

Before, it was just his usual pessimistic hunch but now, Oz is certain he’s the reason his friends were in such distress last night. As he was telling his friends about his meeting with Vera, it started to dawn on him how all 3 of them were out of sorts to begin with. While he thought it was an extreme reaction coming from Amira and Vicky towards Brian’s shutdown, they’ve never seen him like that before so it was understandable. Now that Oz has connected the dots, it was totally his fault.

It might have also been really weird for him to give Amira the money Vera gave him. Oz didn’t really think that through and thought it was a natural thing to do. Now all he can do is wallow in sorrow under the blanket thinking of all the trouble he caused. Oz could literally disappear if he wanted to but that would cause even more problems which in turn would make him feel even more guilty.

The sound of the door opening and walking in the room only slightly startled Oz who was still under his blanket. The footsteps got closer and stopped next to the bed. A creaking sound was made when whoever it was stepped on the bed to get a clear view of Oz on the top bunk, all they would be able to see would be a round lump covered by a blanket though.

“Did… did something bad actually happen?” The voice sounded concerned, it was Brian.

_“No.”_

“Then why are you sulking in your bed?”

 _“… Because… last night… it was my fault, wasn’t it?”_ Oz whimpered.

Brian took a moment to get what Oz meant. “Of course, it wasn’t. It was mostly my fault so don’t worry about it.”

_“But… you never stay out of it that long… I caused that too, didn’t I?”_

“W-what makes you think that?” Brian stuttered.

_“Amira said you stopped responding after the group chat.”_

“W-well… that’s just a coincidence!” Brian scrambled to think of an excuse that didn’t involve explaining himself. “Look, it’s not your fault or mine if you think about it.”

 _“I-it’s not?”_ Oz sounds confused.

“Yeah, it’s Damien and Vera’s fault for making all of us panic.”

Oz’s head peeked out of the blanket. _“Why Damien?”_

“He’s the one that started all this. He went and asked Vera about you, but since she didn’t have anything she started digging. You know the rest.” Brian scratched his head with an annoyed look on his face. “Anyway, it’s not your fault. Got it?”

 _“But… still…”_ Oz retreated back under the blanket.

“We were just worried for you Oz. You’d be too if something like that happened, right?”

_“Yeah...”_

“Then don’t beat yourself up over it. You really helped us out last night, where did that cool calm collected Oz go?”

_“He’s gone to the void and never coming back.”_

“That’s a shame. It’s alright though, as long as _you_ don’t go anywhere.”

Oz peeked out again. _“Is it… really okay?”_

“It’s fine. You said it yourself. You’ll make us worry and we worry because we care about you.” Brian put on a soft smile.

He did say that last night, he knew he was going to be trouble. Thinking it over, if he kept sulking there will be a never-ending cycle of guilt and blame going around, that would be the last thing he wanted to happen. Oz slowly got up, blanket still covering him except the face. He still looked distressed but maybe not as bad as it was a few minutes ago.

_“W-was it weird to give Amira that money?”_

“Ummm… kind of.” Oz was about to shrink back down. “It’s fine! I’m sure Amira doesn’t mind.”

Oz looked at Brian with doubt in his eyes. She was pretty insistent on returning the money to him. As a being that didn’t have any particular biological needs, money was more of a luxury he didn’t really need, it would be more useful for Amira to have it but the sentiment might have been lost in translation with how weird everything was.

“Uuuuh… Amira and Vicky are actually waiting for me to get you. They’re in the living room.” Brian looked toward the door.

Hearing that, Oz immediately jumped down from the bunk bed. Still having the blanket wrapped around him, he scurried off towards the door and Brian followed behind him. Not that the blanket did anything for him, it just felt comfy to have around him. Indeed, Amira and Vicky were waiting for them in the living room and once they saw Oz wrapped up in a blanket, Amira couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

Continuing their earlier conversation, Amira mentioned how Vera had asked her about Oz in more detail. She tried to give the money back to Oz again, but he stubbornly refused. It was rare for Oz to be stubborn, so she conceded and accepted the money. Everything finally got straightened out, even though Brian still wasn’t ready to explain why he blacked out, nobody pushed him on it.

“Now that everything’s settled! We’re still hanging out after school today, right?” Vicky declared.

“You still had that in mind?” Brian groaned.

“It’s been a stressful week! We should all go out and unwind!” Vicky raised her hands up.

“Yeah!” Amira slung her arm around Oz’s shoulder. “Oz already said he was going so you’re coming too Brian.”

“Yup, no take-backsies!” Vicky agreed.

“I didn’t say no.” Brian deadpans.

“Just making sure.” Amira giggled. “You’re still up for it, right Oz?” she turned to Oz.

 _“Sure, sounds like fun.”_ Oz said cheerfully.

“That’s the spirit!” Amira shook Oz a bit out of excitement. “Then it’s decided!”

Amira and Vicky started to discuss what they should do later while Brian and Oz just sat there listening to them. This is what usually happened when they plan to go out together. After they were done planning Amira and Vicky went to get ready for the day, Oz reminded Vicky that she should charge up since she tends to forget when overly excited. The rest of the morning went by peacefully.

* * *

Oz was at the locker room getting ready for PE. He wondered if he should actually play dodgeball seriously for once. Being mostly invisible he only stood out enough to get into a team and intentionally get hit sometime in the middle of games. That sort of act certainly made him lack any sort of charm. Oz didn’t dislike PE, it was good practice to keep his motor skills in check but he’s not sure he’ll do well in team sports.

Suddenly Oz felt a punch on his shoulder. The sudden impact caught him off guard that his body slammed into the lockers in front of him. He should really pay more attention to his surroundings now that he’s not practically invisible. It’ll take some getting used to but even he never suspected a sudden shoulder punch, which oddly had the impact of a regular punch.

“Sup noob? Didn’t think you’d show up early for PE.”

Oz stepped back from the locker and saw Damien next to him. It seems like he just got here since he hasn’t changed into his PE clothes. Oz wanted to complain about the blatant assault but it didn’t look like Damien was being malicious with that punch. Not that it actually hurt, it was just annoying. He’s still not sure how to interact with others on such short notice.

 _“Hey Damien. I just don’t like being late.”_ Oz said in a deadpan tone. It came off a lot more dismissive than he intended but thankfully Damien either didn’t realize or didn’t care.

“Man, you really are a nerd.” Damien leaned on the lockers. “You any good at sports?”

_“Ummm… I guess I’m so-so.”_

Damien looked over Oz. “Suuuure you are.” He smirked. “Not that it really matters when you’re gonna be on my team.” He declared confidently.

 _“We’re on the same team?”_ Oz tilted his head.

“You got a problem with that?” Damien glared at Oz.

_“N-no. I-it’s just that class hasn’t actually started.”_

“That doesn’t matter! We’re on the same team, got it!”

_“Sure…”_

Oz headed out of the locker room confused on what just happened, which seems to be a pattern lately. Not sure why on earth Damien would want to team up with him during PE. He obviously didn’t believe Oz was somewhat decent at sports. Well, being on the same team with Damien would be somewhat safe, so it wasn’t a bad position to be in.

True to his words, Oz was in the same team as Damien for the first match. It turned out more hectic than he would have liked. Being clearly visible made Oz look like the perfect target and most of the opposing team targeted him. The match started off with Oz dodging balls, while his team (mostly Damien) took out the enemy players. Some of the balls that were aimed at Oz hit other players on his team when he dodged them.

Nearing the end, all that was left was Damien and Oz with the same number of players on the other side. The other monsters that got outed and weren’t passed out from a ball to the face were watching and cheering along with some classmates that haven’t played yet. Being the center of attention made Oz nervous, thinking of a plan to get outed soon. But before he could do anything a resounding “FUCK!” echoed throughout the gym, Damien was out, leaving Oz the only player on his team. Damien grumbled as he stomped over to the bench.

This was the worst possible scenario. Oz didn’t care about winning a game of dodgeball, but the pressure of being the only thing standing between victory and loss was crippling, on top of having the spotlight on him now. It would have been better if he was at a huge disadvantage but it’s only 2 against 1. He was visibly shaking as he somehow still dodged the balls thrown at him by the other team. Oz hasn’t actually thrown a single ball during the game so now all the balls were on his side of the court.

Already a nervous wreck not knowing what to do, Oz quickly went around the court picking up and tossing all the balls randomly to the other side without looking up. The crowd cheered when one of the balls hit the opponent by chance, but Oz was busy clearing all the balls on his side to notice. Once he tossed the last ball, he scarcely dodged a ball flying towards his face, the crowd cheered again.

Realizing there was only 1 player left on the enemy side it just made him even more nervous, now there was no going back or he’ll disappoint a lot of people. Seeing him visibly shake, some of the students shouted words of encouragement but it all just sounded like added pressure to Oz. He still managed to dodge the next onslaught of balls after him. Not wanting to prolong this hell of pressure Oz hoped his next throw could end it all.

He steadied his trembling hands to wind-up for his shot, then threw the ball towards his opponent and closed his eyes once the ball left his hand. The crowd went silent as coach blew the whistle. Was it over? Did he somehow win? Oz opened his eyes and saw his opponent knocked down quite far away from where they were standing last. It seems like the ball Oz threw had a lot more power behind it than he realized.

Oz’s team cheered to their victory and tossed Oz up and down for a while when he was in a daze. As the next group of students get ready to play their match, Oz sat on a bench and covered his face with his hands. That was too much. His nerves were still shot even after the match ended. He should have done things as usual and got struck out early on. Yep, that’s what he’ll do if there are any other matches today.

“Dude, that was sick!” Damien’s voice was heard beside him. “You knocked the hell out of that last guy!” He smacked Oz’s back with a bit of force, guessing it was coming, Oz dampened the impact this time.

The demon has terrible timing. Oz was in no mood to have a conversation with what just happened. He felt a sense of déjà vu, like something similar has happened recently. Oz would very much like to ignore Damien again but that might end up with him throwing another hissy fit later on, more importantly it was rude.

 _“Hmmm… sure…”_ Was all he managed to say.

“Why the fuck do you look like you just lost? You do know we won, right?”

Oz removed his hand from his face to look at Damien. _“I know we won. I’m just… really tired and I don’t feel like talking right now.”_ He said in an exasperated tone, then turned to look at the current match.

He expected the demon to retort with something but they just remained silent. To Oz’s delight, nothing interesting happened the rest of PE, so he was able to calm down. For a while he was worried that some of his classmates would rope him into another game due to his first match victory, but surprisingly nobody approached him which was a relief. He spent the rest of the period just watching others play from the bench.

* * *

Damien’s plan had backfired which has left him feeling irritated at himself. He had ~~forced~~ asked Oz to team up with him in the hopes of carrying the team, showing off how cool he was and repay him for the A+ they got him during the Mad Science project, it was a perfect plan. Oz said he was ‘okay’ at sports but he highly doubted that, Oz looked as skinny as Liam and Liam was terrible at sports. That wouldn’t be a problem though, if Oz was out early and Damien won the match it would be the perfect outcome.

To Damien’s surprise, Oz was actually very good at dodging balls. With the enemy team targeting Oz it was easier for Damien to throw balls at their faces. Everything was going smoothly until Damien was caught off guard and was out of the game. Oz was left to fend off for the team and Damien was livid his plan had failed. This was NOT how things were supposed to happen. While Oz has been dodging balls like a motherfucker, he has yet to even toss one ball, so Damien assumed he’ll just get hit to get it over with.

As Damien grumpily watched the rest of the match, for some reason Oz continued playing even though it looked like a gust of wind could make him fall at any moment with how much he’s shaking. Does he actually have a competitive side and doesn’t want to lose without a fight? The way he tossed balls looks weak as shit, but it made the enemy players confused enough that one of them gets hit by those weakly tossed balls.

When Oz threw a ball in what looked like an actual throwing motion, the ball flew right into the enemy player’s stomach and sent them flying back a few feet. Damien and all the spectators couldn’t believe what they just witnessed. Did that skinny nerd seriously throw the ball so hard it made someone fly? As their team tossed Oz in the air in celebration, Damien was still stunned on the bench trying to process what he just saw.

Great, not only did Damien’s plan fail but Oz won in a way that made him look super rad to everyone who witnessed it. At least they still won, so it should still count as a small victory, right? Once Damien came back to his sense Oz was on the other side of the bench. Damien slid over to his side and gave him a gentle pat (so he doesn’t fall over) on the back along with a compliment for winning. But Oz sounded upset for some reason Damien couldn’t fathom.

After Oz told Damien the politest version of “Shut the fuck up!” he’s ever heard, he went silent. At least that’s how Damien translated the last few words he heard. The last time Oz stayed silent he wouldn’t say anything back, so getting the message Damien didn’t say anything for now. When he said he was tired does he mean from playing dodgeball? Does he have low stamina? He’s not sweating or even breathing heavily, is Damien missing something? Why the fuck did Oz sound so upset? Damien didn’t even burn anyone during the match!

Oz just sat there looking lazily at the other students playing, while Damien was irritated not knowing why. Some of their classmates wanted to ask Oz to join them for another round of dodgeball, but the sight of a clearly pissed Damien beside him made them think twice. Still contemplating on how things went wrong, there was only one possible reason Oz is in a bad mood, he was hungry. Yep, that had to be it. Good thing lunchtime is next so they can grab lunch together, another perfect plan!

“Hey, you got any plans after this?” Damien glanced at Oz who was still watching the court.

 _“Hm?”_ Oz turned to Damien. _“No, if you’re talking about lunch plans, I didn’t have any.”_

“Then let’s hit the cafeteria together after this!” Damien slung an arm over Oz’s shoulder with a grin on his face.

_“Okay?”_

He really didn’t have any plans for lunch, not really sure why Damien is inviting him to lunch but it would be a good change of pace for getting used to others. Thinking on it, Oz really is bad in initiating social interaction. Even with his friends, he’s usually the one being invited to do stuff, most of the time he initiates contact is when something is wrong or he thinks something is wrong. Maybe he should try being a bit more proactive.

When Oz finished changing and walked out of the locker room, his arm was seized by Damien who started walking somewhere, possibly the cafeteria. While a little forceful, but at least they’re not being literally dragged away, so Oz just silently followed him. At the cafeteria, they got their food and sat at an empty table.

“Alright, now eat your food so you regain your strength.” Damien pointed at Oz’s tray.

 _“Regain my strength?”_ Oz raised a brow at Damien.

“Yeah, you said you were tired, right? So, eat up and stop being cranky!”

For a while Oz just stared wide-eyed at Damien before turning back to normal, he raised a hand towards his nonexistent mouth and let out an audible soft laughter to Damien’s mind.

“What’s so funny!?” Damien growled and slammed a fist on the table.

 _“No, it’s just… I know I said I was tired… but I didn’t mean physically tired.”_ Fits of giggles could be heard on each pause.

“What the hell does that mean!?” Damien looked confused.

 _“I just meant that I was stressed out. Besides…”_ Oz’s giggles died down. _“I don’t need to eat. Food wouldn’t really help, even if I was physically tired.”_

“Uuuuh then why did say yes to lunch?”

 _“I didn’t have anything better to do.”_ Oz said nonchalantly.

“So, you always get cranky after a game of dodgeball?”

 _“No.”_ Oz deadpans. _“It just ended up that way today.”_

“No offense, but I seriously didn’t think you could actually play.”

 _“Clearly.”_ Oz rolled his eyes.

“How was I supposed to know a skinny nerd like you can even do sports!?”

_“Oh, I don’t know. I thought I was pretty flexible acting out that noble knight choreography.”_

Damien’s mouth was agape not sure on how to react to Oz’s snarky remark. The shadow monster had mostly been soft-spoken if not grumpy for whatever reason, his laugh was also surprising but Damien was caught up in thinking he was being mocked when it happened. Before he could think of what to say, someone slid on to the empty seat next to Oz.

“Hey buddy, didn’t think you were getting lunch today.” Amira leaned her arm on Oz’s shoulders.

 _“Oh, hey Amira.”_ Oz turned to Amira.

“What are you doing here with demon boy?” Amira glanced at Damien whose mouth was still agape. “And what’s wrong with him?” She raised a brow.

 _“Damien invited me to lunch.”_ Oz turned to Damien. _“And I’m not sure.”_ He tilted his head.

Damien shook his head, pointed at Oz and addressed Amira. “You know this noob!?”

Amira frowns. “For your information his name is Oz.” She said sternly.

“I know his name!” Damien fumed.

“And yes, this here is a buddy of mine, so you better not be messing with him.” Amira glared at Damien.

“What the hell!? I DIDN’T DO ANYTHING!”

 _“I-it’s fine Amira. We were just talking.”_ Oz tried to reassure her.

“Sure didn’t seem like it.” Amira looked skeptical.

Oz quickly scanned around the cafeteria, he could see Brian, Scott, and Vicky sitting a distance away. He saw 4 food trays on the table, realizing Amira came here empty handed. Brian seemed to be slumped over the table while Scott and Vicky waved when they notice Oz looking their way, Oz gave a small wave back before turning back to Amira.

_“Well, you would know better but nothing is going on. Really.”_

“WHAT’S THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN!?” Damien shouted.

“Seriously Damien, can’t keep it down at least during lunch?” The voice sighed.

Vera had taken the last empty seat between Amira and Damien and put her tray on the table when nobody was looking. She already had her phone out and was focused on it. Amira and Damien looked shocked for a second, while Oz is just confused on what to do now that there are more people at the table.

“Geez, how do you always sneak up on people like that?” Damien turned to Vera.

“I don’t. You’re just too loud to notice.” Vera’s still looking at her phone.

“Anyway, you sure you wanna stay here Oz?” Amira looked at Oz. “You can sit with us if you want.” She gestured to the table with his friends and Scott.

Oz looked at the table. _“Ummm… no, thanks. I don’t mind staying here.”_ He turned back to Amira. _“You guys don’t have to worry about me, I’m fine.”_ He made the sentence only be heard by her.

Amira gave Oz a small smile before moving back to the table with his friends and Scott. Oz wondered if she was hasty in going back because Vera showed up or if she was reassured that he was fine, probably more of the former. He appreciated the sentiment but it did feel weird to have his friends worry about every little thing he did. Perhaps it was his fault for having such a quiet and submissive attitude over the years.

“What the hell just happened?” Damien looked confused.

“She obviously thought you were threatening her little friend and tried to take him away.” Vera said plainly.

“SERIOUSLY!?”

“Seriously.” Vera looked at Oz. “Wouldn’t it be better to follow her than stay with his loudmouth over here?” She pointed her thumb towards Damien.

“HEY!”

Oz let out a chuckle. _“It’s fine. It would be a bit crowed at the table if I joined them.”_

“Still, I didn’t expect to see you here with Damien of all monsters.” Vera looked back at her phone.

_“Damien invited me.”_

“Did he now?” Vera glanced at Damien. “You asked Oz to lunch?”

“So what if I- Wait.” A look of realization dawned on his face. “You said you didn’t-.” Damien stopped himself from asking his original question. “I mean, you know this guy?”

Oz already knew what Damien was about to say but remained silent. It all seemed odd but many things in life made no sense so why bother questioning everything. Besides, it seems like Damien didn’t really want Oz knowing for some reason. If he’s willing to pay Vera to keep it that way then that’s his choice.

“If you must know. We’ve become acquainted, isn’t that right Oz?” Vera smirked.

_“Y-yes.”_

Damien looked at the both of them, baffled. When the fuck did THAT happen? He only asked Vera yesterday and she didn’t know ANYTHING back then! Is she holding out on him? Nah, that can’t be it, Vera would never let a chance to get paid slip by. He better ask her again later. What was he doing again? Damien had been interrupted so many times he can’t remember what he was doing aside from lunch. So, he just started eating.

With Damien eating and Vera using her phone, the table became quiet. Oz let his phobias eat the food on the tray as he just glance around as usual. This certainly is new, a bit more awkward than when he was looking over Valerie’s wares but not too much. He’s still not sure how to start up a conversation with strangers. As the saying goes: No need to say anything if you don’t want to talk. Or something like that… right, that’s exactly why he’s overly passive and only has 3 friends.

* * *

Earlier at the other table. Vicky had called Amira and Scott over to eat with her and Brian when she saw them walk into the cafeteria together. They happily joined them and Scott was happy to see that his teammate was indeed not dead last night. Brian was still tired due to lack of actual sleep, so after finishing his food he just slept on the table.

The sound of Damien’s loud voice could be heard but that wasn’t anything out of the ordinary. Slightly curious on what that hothead was up to, Amira looked around to see where he was. To her surprise, not only did she spot the demon prince but also her shy shadow friend sitting with him at the same table. The sight irritates her, reminding her everything that happened yesterday snowballed because that dick triggered it.

Sure, Damien might be oblivious and have nothing to do with it but he still initiated Vera’s hunt for information. It was hard to tell if Oz was saying anything from a distance but seeing Damien slammed a fist on the table it seemed clear he was bothering him. Amira got up to rescue her friend but Vicky stopped her since she didn’t say anything about where she was going. After a brief explanation Vicky said that he was probably fine, but she sounded unsure.

When she got there to interrupt whatever Damien was doing, he was oddly frozen with a stupid look on his face. Apparently, Vicky was right and everything was fine but Amira still had her doubts. Aggressive and rude were Damien’s default attitude, it made no sense for him to bring Oz to lunch without there being a catch. After giving him a warning Amira was planning to stay to make sure nothing really happens but then a certain gorgon had sat down at the table.

Amira didn’t think she’d be seeing Vera this early on without approaching her. Usually they don’t really cross paths unless Amira actively looks for Vera. While she normally wouldn’t leave her shadowy friend alone with such intimidating monsters, Oz assured her he was fine and he did spend some time with Vera already last night, it would probably be fine. Amira just couldn’t face Vera right now with how she blatantly refused her demands yesterday, Oz said she really wasn’t mad but it still felt awkward, so she’ll avoid Vera as much as she can for now.

Back at the table with Brian, Scott, and Vicky, Amira told them that it was a false alarm and it really was nothing. Vicky was glad, Scott didn’t really get what just happened but followed Vicky’s enthusiasm, Brian was still asleep. Amira had a feeling if he was awake, he would have stormed over there himself with how overprotective of Oz he can get. Not that she has room to talk when she also had an inexplicable feeling to keep their shadowy friend safe from the evils of the world.

* * *

In the middle of Oz’s spaced out monster watching his phone vibrated.

 **Vera Oberlin:** Did Damien ask you anything?

Looking up, Vera was still across the table from him on her phone and Damien was still busy eating. Since she was right in front of him, Oz decided to just talk to her instead of replying through text.

_“He didn’t ask me a list of questions enough to fill a form if that’s what you’re asking.”_

**Vera Oberlin:** You’re fine with it?

Not that Vera wasn’t going to sell Oz’s information to Damien anyway if he said no, but she was curious on why he sounds so nonchalant about it. He clearly has above average intelligence if he’s caught on to why Vera asked him a lot of questions. It’s kind of a roundabout way to do it but is he going to ask for a cut of the info she sells? It is technically his personal information and Vera is fully aware of how cunning he can be.

 _“Yes. It’s not really any of my business.”_ He shrugged.

That response made Vera question his intelligence again but she won’t protest this odd consent of selling off someone’s basic info for money. Oz would have probably tried to prevent Vera’s schemes if it involved one of his friends but this was Damien. He’s a prince of hell and a repeat partner in crime for Vera so a little scam shouldn’t put a dent in him financially to even bother worrying about. The information itself is of no concern to him if it spreads one way or another.

Having time to actually process everything that just happened, Damien just realized that apparently Amira knew Oz. It all just happened so fast and he was blinded by rage of being accused of things he didn’t do, he didn’t register her saying they were friends. That was pretty weird, while Damien doesn’t bother remembering every single one of his classmates, he definitely knows the loser gang and not once has he saw Oz among them… at least he thinks so.

It’s been a while since Damien met someone new, he was pretty sure he rooted out all the lame fuckdoors with any of the students that stood out by now. It sort of feels like Oz just appeared out of thin air (which isn’t far off from the truth). Which makes it all the more confusing since it sounds like he’s been around all along and Damien just didn’t notice.

Due to their awkward second encounter Damien wasn’t exactly sure how he should talk to Oz. At first, he didn’t want to scare him off since he seemed to be the shy type and Damien really wanted to act together again, but then their third encounter was also pretty awkward with Oz giving him the silent treatment. Despite all the yelling Damien did, it didn’t really scare him off. Oz turned out to be a pretty chill guy if not a little moody.

He wasn’t sure if what happened during PE was a fluke or if Oz was actually strong. Regardless of what it was he was obviously really cool. This just made Damien more interested in Oz but it’s all a one-way street. He’s not even sure Oz would be interested in hanging out more or if he’s even interested in Damien one bit. Aside for a few moments, their interactions have mostly been pretty rocky, PE was especially bad for some reason. Well, he did laugh earlier, so maybe it isn’t a lost cause.

 **Damien LaVey:** Hey noob

 **Damien LaVey:** What are you doing after this?

Damien texted Oz not wanting Vera to know he was actually interested in getting to know him better. Oz looked at Damien with a raised brow after reading the text.

_“I’m going to my next class.”_

“ARE YOU AN IDIOT!” Damien slammed his hands on the table and glared at Oz.

“SHUT UP!” Vera also slammed a hand on the table and glared at Damien. “Don’t just shout out of nowhere!”

“I’m not shouting out of nowhere!” Damien snarled at Vera.

“Then what on earth were you shouting at!?” Vera hissed at Damien.

“I shouldn’t have to tell you something so fucking obvious!”

“What was that you prick!?”

 **Vicky:** OZ IS EVERYTHING ALRIGHT?

 **Oz:** Nope. I’ll be making my exit though. See you guys later after school.

Not wanting to get mixed up in their spat, Oz silently walked away from the table without them noticing from all the arguing over nothing. Oz figured if he stayed any longer, he would be forced to pick a side and make one of them angry at him by default, so running away before that could happen is the best choice. There was also the possibility that he angered them both by disappearing but that’s a risk he’s willing to take rather than being put in an awkward situation.

True enough the two thought that they needed a tie-breaker to decided who’s fault it was for starting the shouting match and they turned to an empty seat which made them bicker more. After a few more minutes of pointless shouting they finally settled down and decided to ignore each other for the rest of lunch.

* * *

Oz was sitting alone is an empty classroom. It was way too early to be in class but it was too late to go anywhere else to do anything, so here he was. It’s only been 4 days (4 fucking days!) of being visible and it already feels like a lifetime. Is this what being a normal high schooler feels like? He had thought some of the fears he consumed might have been exaggerated and some probably are but it’s starting to really affect him.

Being out of the noisy bustling areas with nothing to distract him, the silence left him with nothing to do but think. While this would usually be a good thing, Oz has a lot of pent up thoughts swirling in his mind threatening to pour out all at once. Whenever he gets a moment of peace it gets negated by the next stressful thing that happens. Everything has just been piling up without enough time for Oz to process it.

With the few exceptions of resolved issues like the mysterious threat text, Oz was still mulling over everything that happened last night. While Brian did say it wasn’t really his fault, he still felt guilty for being the cause of it all. Many ‘what if’ scenarios ran though his mind as he thought on what he could have done better. He should have gotten home sooner instead of taking his sweet time, he should have left the underground casino as soon as he got the chance, he should have told them about the threatening text instead of being vague about it.

Oz thought PE would be a good mindless distraction but it ended up being more stressful than he expected. He didn’t really mind if others underestimated his physical strength since he purposefully picked an unassuming body but getting aggressively targeted by balls from all directions was pain to deal with. He probably should have caught some instead of dodging them all but there’s no use it worrying about that now, he won anyway.

Then there were his interactions with Damien and Vera. Oz was still unsure on how he should talk to others outside of his friend group. Was he being too impassive or did he sound overly familiar? Dealing with Vera felt simple since their interactions are mostly just her asking questions or making a business deal. There was no need for small talk with her so Oz didn’t feel too much pressure, even though he did feel wary on what they could possibly want with him in the future.

Damien on the other hand, it was hard to tell what they even have going on. For reasons Oz couldn’t fathom, the demon was insistent in teaming up with him during PE. The whole thing was mostly a blur when he was left alone on the court and even a bit after. Thinking on it now, he probably did sound cranky after that. It’s a wonder how Damien didn’t get pissed off yell at him right there.

Recalling all their interactions, Oz feels like he’s been acting really annoying for some reason. He didn’t really fear for his safety or any mortal danger that could come to him, Oz was more terrified on how people he knew would think of him. He’d been ignoring the thought since he started interacting with more people, hoping that it doesn’t deter his quest, but now the anxiety is coming back to him.

Perhaps things haven’t been going as well as he thought and he was just too stupid to realize it. Maybe he’s been acting too cocky and careless, on top of making his friends worry. Maybe they were actually mad at him but just didn’t show it. Could it be their planned hangout after school is actually a disguised plan to tell him they were leaving him!?

Before Oz’s mind could continue to spiral down the thoughts of negativity, his phone vibrated.

 **Damien LaVey:** WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU?

Great, just another thing to worry about. A pissed off prince of hell.

 **Oz:** I told you. Next class.

 **Damien LaVey:** LUNCH ISN’T EVEN OVER YET

 **Oz:** I can go to class early.

 **Damien LaVey:** Who the fuck goes to class early?

 **Oz:** I do, apparently.

 **Damien LaVey:** Fine

 **Damien LaVey:** Then why did you leave so suddenly?

 **Oz:** Because you and Vera were busy screaming at each other.

 **Damien LaVey:** We wouldn’t be screaming if SOMEONE didn’t open their big mouth

 **Oz:** I don’t have a mouth.

 **Damien LaVey:** DON’T EVEN START WITH THAT BULLSHIT!

 **Damien LaVey:** YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN

 **Oz:** Damien. Vera didn’t hear anything. I can telepathically speak with a single person without others hearing. It’s a lot simpler than typing a text to someone who’s right beside me. I guess I forgot to mention that. I don’t talk to many people. Sorry. ☹

Oz facepalmed to himself after sending that text. Not only did he write a pretty long single text, he ended it with a frowny face. He rarely used emotes and the times he does is pretty random. Damien already sounds pissed though text and Oz didn’t really want to aggravate him but the comebacks were practically writing themselves.

Damien isn’t replying back, which makes Oz nervous, unsure of how he took the last message. It was his fault for not telling Damien about his telepathy more clearly. Vera was quick to catch on and he had done it a lot with her last night, so Oz didn’t think twice about it. Damien is probably extra mad now. All things considered, Damien has been pretty nice to Oz and he isn’t sure why. It would be terrible if Damien actually hated him now just because of a little miscommunication.

 **Damien LaVey:** It’s cool

That… wasn’t what Oz expected when Damien finally replied. But despite the non-angry tone the text gave off, Oz still felt the need to apologize again.

 **Oz:** I’m really sorry. I know I should have told you sooner. I just sort of assumed you knew and didn’t think about it.

 **Damien LaVey:** I said it was cool

 **Oz:** Still, I made you and Vera fight for no reason.

 **Damien LaVey:** She’s always bitching to me about something anyway

 **Damien LaVey:** Don’t worry about it

 **Oz:** If you say so. Have a nice day.

 **Damien LaVey:** Wait!

 **Damien LaVey:** What are you doing after school?

 **Oz:** I have plans to hang out with my friends.

 **Damien LaVey:** I see

 **Damien LaVey:** Guess I’ll see you around

 **Oz:** Bye-bye.

* * *

Damien was at a loss yet again. He might have jumped the gun and made a fuss over literally nothing, which isn’t really anything new. But now his rash actions have put him in a conundrum. His mysterious shadowy classmate has disappeared without him noticing but that wasn’t the issue. While it was a shame, it was the perfect time to get info from Vera… if she wasn’t super pissed at him. This wouldn’t really be a problem if Damien wasn’t impatient.

He tries to make Vera to talk by being annoying, but she is aggressively ignoring him that anything stupid he says is thoroughly ignored. Shouting again won’t help him since that’s what made her mad to begin with. There’s probably only one way to make Vera talk now before lunch ends but Damien didn’t really want to do it. After a few moments of hesitation Damien enacted his last resort.

“It’s my fault. Are you happy now!?” Damien said begrudgingly.

Vera couldn’t really believe what she heard and looked at Damien. “Excuse me?”

“It’s my fault.” Damien grumbled.

“Wow, you must really be desperate if you’re admitting defeat.” Vera said amused and placed her phone down. “So, what do you want?”

“What makes you think I want something?”

“Oh please.” Vera rolled her eyes. “Either spill it or I’m going back to ignoring you. All day.”

“Fine! Gimmie info on that noob.” Damien slapped his hand on the table.

“That’ll be 100 monster dollars.”

“What!? That’s way more than usual!”

“It’s extra payment for annoying me. I’m not lowering it.” Vera tapped her finger on the table.

It was a total rip-off but Damien took the deal. After the exchange was made, he immediately skimmed through the paper Vera gave him. It wasn’t really much but there was no way he’d ever get any of these answers naturally because he refuses to ask such boring questions in person and fuck finding out in time. Vera is amazed on how easily that went but she ain’t complaining.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, yes this is pretty long by my standards... again. Halp I have no idea where this is going!  
> My mind before writing this fic: I'm gonna make a Damien x Oz fic :3  
> My mind now writing this fic: Where am I going with this? :/  
> p.s. I like to imagine that monster dollars only come in singles because the mint can't be bothered to print more than 1 type of money


	13. Fun Night Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Color Crew hang out at the mall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally a standard size chapter with happiness :3

6 months passed by in a flash and Prom is already here. It felt like forever but the day has finally come. Vicky obviously came with Scott, Amira scored a date with Vera, and Brian somehow managed to bring Liam to prom despite his reluctance with the help of Miranda over a series of whacky events in a plot to make Liam popular again.

But Brian felt something was off, something was missing. What could it possibly be? Looking around everything seems fine, all his friends are there, the decorations Miranda’s serfs set up are on point and nothing is on fire, yet. Is he just imagining things? It’s probably nothing important then, otherwise he surely would remember. Brian proceeded to enjoy prom with his 2 friends and their dates.

Prom night was magical. Scott and Vicky danced as if they were working out. Amira and Vera were chatting about something near the punch bowl. Liam was crowned prom king with Brian at his side while Miranda cheered. Then Polly and Damien crashed into the building with a car which got lit on fire before Polly summoned a god of party which let all hell loose somehow summoning a dark deity that started to destroyed the whole world as a giant tentacle monster.

What started out as prom night was the beginning of a war against the dark lord Z’gord. A war began in order to prevent the end of the world. The coven leads the charge, being the ones more familiar in saving the world. But all their efforts were in vain. For some reason Liam used the last of his energy to leave a dying message saying “This is the darkest timeline”. In the end everyone died including Polly somehow despite already being dead and the world exploded.

* * *

Brian woke up from his terribly absurd nightmare to find himself still at the cafeteria table.

“OOO! Brian’s awake!” Scott shouted.

“Great timing. Lunch time is almost over.” Vicky checked the time on her phone.

Brian slowly sat up and let out a big yawn. It was indeed great timing, the bell rang soon while he was still pretty drowsy. Everyone went their separate ways for whatever they were going to do next but Brian was being dragged by Amira through the halls since he refused to move after just waking up. They had the next class together and she said there was no way she’s attending a boring class without him.

He was caught up thinking about the nightmare he just had. End of the world aside he found it weird that everyone was there except Oz. Dreams are nonsense that don’t have any real meaning, especially when you go to a chaotic place like Spooky High where practically anything can happen. But it did make Brian feel a bit uneasy. To get a dream where it seemed like Oz didn’t exist right after he said he won’t be going anywhere felt like some kind of bad omen.

Shaking the thoughts out of his head, Brian told Amira he would actually walk to class now that he’s fully awake so she stops dragging him. The teacher was too lazy to teach that day so they just put a movie for the class to watch and write a review on it. It was about a special drug that can make anyone a super genius but because of how overpowered it is many people died for the drug.

Most of the class were just chatting and doing whatever they wanted. Amira took this chance to tell Brian about what happened during lunch when he was sleeping. While it was still a bit surprising, with what’s happened the past few days, it wasn’t so shocking to hear that Oz was spending lunch with Damien and Vera. Thanks to their talk last night, he can take the news more calmly now with his usual neutral face unchanging.

* * *

School ended in no time and the color crew was set to have a night of fun. It started with Amira and Vicky stealing a car for their ride to the mall. With Amira on the wheel, Brian and Oz braced themselves in the backseats. The ride was fast and bumpy with Amira ignoring the speed-limit and traffic signs while also losing any patrol cars trying to catch them. They reached the mall in record time and Oz was only slightly shaking from the rough ride, he’s still not used to Amira’s reckless driving.

Their first stop was the arcade. The plan was to have a friendly competition where the winner doesn’t have to do any chores for a whole month. Needless to say, it became a pretty fierce competition. If someone won’t be doing any chores then that’ll give more work for the other 3. Everyone wanted the free time of less responsibilities and Oz got caught up in their enthusiasm.

They’d all play a series of different arcade games and the one with the most wins are the winner. The games were: shooting, basketball, air hocky, whack-a-mole and DDR. Amira and Brian took the lead during the shooting and basketball match. When Brian won the shooting match it was almost assured that he’d also win on basketball, but one of the balls bounced away that it took him some time to get it that Amira won by a single score.

Oz and Vicky got into an intense long air hocky match after beating their friends beforehand. Oz managed to get the slip-on Vicky when he aimed to push the puck straight down the middle but make it look like he was going for an angle shot and won the match. Vicky won the whack-a-mole contest with how fast she whacked those moles the second they popped up. That made everyone get one win and the winner would be determined by DDR.

With DDR as the last challenge, Oz was certain there was no chance of victory for him. Luckily the whole arcade was filled with flashing neon lights and noise everywhere that nobody really paid attention to the DDR stage. He volunteered to go first before a crowd could form and Vicky joined him. Despite choosing the easy difficulty, Oz wasn’t doing well and kept missing steps as he awkwardly flailed his arms around to keep balance while the others cheered him on.

In the end he didn’t get a good score and Vicky got a perfect, so she’ll go up against either Amira or Brian on hard difficulty. A crowd started to gather when the second dance battle started. Both of them were doing well but Brian missed some steps making Amira win that round. Amira and Vicky were at the final battle and they chose a super difficult song to make it even more challenging for no reason. Brian and Oz just stood behind the crowd since more have gathered to watch their match.

 _“Too bad you didn’t win.”_ Oz turned to Brian.

“Yeah, I was so close too.” Brian sighed. “Now I’ll be getting more chores.” He grumbles.

 _“Who do you think will win?”_ Oz turns back to watch the dance battle.

“I hope Amira does.” Brian crossed his arms.

_“Why?”_

“She already skimps on chores any chance she gets and it would be a disaster if Vicky wins.”

Oz chuckled at that. Vicky certainly was the one that took care of most things at the apartment, if she deliberately stopped who knows how messy things could get. Not that Oz didn’t do his part but he does things at a minimal required level while Vicky goes above and beyond. Amira and Brian both skimp on chores if Vicky doesn’t remind them to do it.

“NOOOOOO!” Vicky wailed.

“WOO HOO!” Amira pumped her fist in the air. “NO CHORES FOR A MONTH BABY!”

_“Welp, looks like we have a winner.”_

Amira and Vicky got off the DDR stage and went to their friends. Brian gave Amira a high-five while Oz consoled Vicky who was devastated by the loss. With the competition over they exit the arcade and headed towards the food court. Oz guarded the table while the others went to buy something to eat. It wasn’t the weekend so it wasn’t really crowded there.

After they finished eating, Vicky pulled out her notebook and scooted closer to Oz. She had written the schedule shift that would be used due to the arcade competition prize and wanted a second opinion.

“So, what do you think?” Vicky showed the notebook to Oz. “I think I evened it out pretty well.”

Oz read the new schedule Vicky wrote up. _“Hmmm… it looks good but I’m not sure Brian can handle cooking breakfast that many times a week.”_ Brian groaned hearing that.

“It can’t be helped. With only the two of us he’ll have to deal with it.”

“Hah! Sucks to be you!” Amira gloated.

“Keep that up and I won’t make your share.” Brian said bluntly.

“Woah, no need to be a sore loser.” Amira patted Brian’s back.

“Yep! We all agreed on it so no complaining.” Vicky added.

 _“Ummm…”_ Oz starts to fidget in his seat.

“Hm? What is it Oz?” Vicky turned to him.

 _“If… if you guys don’t mind… I can… I can start cooking breakfast too.”_ Oz said sheepishly.

“REALLY!?” Amira’s eyes lit up in excitement. “You mean that!?” She leans forward on the table.

_“I-if you don’t mind.”_

“Of course, we don’t mind! Your cooking tastes great!” Vicky placed a hand on Oz’s shoulder. “But are you sure? You don’t even eat. We don’t want to trouble you.”

 _“I don’t sleep either. Just doing a little cooking isn’t any trouble.”_ Oz looked down and twiddled his thumbs. _“Though I can’t guarantee the taste.”_

“Anything you make would be better than what Amira tries to make.” Brian said bluntly.

“Hey!” Amira elbowed Brian. “But he’s right though. If what you made this morning is anything to go by, it’ll be fine!”

 _“T-thanks.”_ Oz was flustered not sure how to take the compliment since he doesn’t know what food tastes like.

“Alright! With that decided, I’ll add you into the schedule.” Vicky started scribbling into her notebook. “Would you mind if I added you into the normal schedule.” She looked up from the notebook to look at Oz.

_“That’s okay.”_

* * *

With the chore shift handled and everyone finished eating, the next plan was just to do whatever they want before the mall closes and regroup to go back home. Vicky dragged Amira away to check out a new magic shop that opened somewhere in the mall. Brian said he was going to videogame store, so Oz followed him. After browsing the store Brian didn’t end up buying anything but Oz bought some gift cards for his handheld console and steam account.

“That’s a lot.” Brian said looking at the small stack of gift cards Oz bought.

 _“Y-you think so?”_ Oz stuttered.

“Well, a lot for you at least.”

 _“I thought it’d be better to stack up since I don’t have a credit card.”_ Oz pocketed his stack of gift cards. _“So, where to next? There’s still some time.”_

Brian was still curious about the gift cards but not prying is his specialty so he drops the topic. “You pick. I don’t really have any other ideas.”

 _“Ummm… then let’s go to the bookstore!”_ Oz said cheerfully.

They went to the bookstore and Oz rushed off deep into the store as soon as they entered. Brian slowly headed towards the comic book section to read some that are already opened. Some time passed and it was almost time for the mall to close.

**_Color Crew Group Chat_ **

**Vicky:** gys wher r u?

 **Brian:** Are you both drunk?

 **Amira:** nee wer nowat

 **Oz:** Looks like it.

 **Oz:** Where are you?

 **Vicky:** wr at thee lobbwwey

 **Brian:** Don’t move and stay there.

 **Amira:** ausa asbhe coag

After receiving a mess of some chat texts Brian and Oz meet up in front of the bookstore.

“It’s a mystery how they can even type now.”

_“Probably muscle memory.”_

“Do you have any idea what they said?”

_“I think Vicky was trying to say they’re at the lobby but who knows.”_

Brian sighs. “You go track them down. I’ll get us a ride.”

_“Sounds like a plan.”_

Brian went off to steal their ride home while Oz checked to see if the girls were actually at the mall’s lobby, they were not. With no other clue to go on Oz went into the shadows to find Amira and Vicky’s shadows. He found them laughing and giggling near the mall center fountain. For some reason almost everyone there was also in a hysterical fit.

 _“What’s going on?”_ Oz asked his 2 friends that were giggling on the floor.

But all they could do was laugh and no words could be formed. Oz texted Brian on where they were and told him to be ready at the nearest exit. While they were in a laughing fit, they could still move and slightly stand with a bit of help. Oz guided them both towards the exit leaving all the other laughing monsters in the area and managed to get them in the car. The girls were still laughing up a storm at the backseat of the car as Brian drove.

“What the hell happened?” Brian looked at them through the review mirror.

 _“I have no idea. Everyone was like that.”_ Oz sighed.

“And here I thought they were drunk from booze. Think they’ll be like this all night?”

Oz turned back to look at the girls. _“What do you two think?”_

They nodded vigorously as they were still laughing. Seeing as they think they won’t stop laughing all night, Oz tried a sleep spell on them and they instantly quiet down as they fall asleep.

 _“Problem solved! For now, at least.”_ Oz went back to face forward on the passenger seat.

“I sure hope so.” Brian said exasperated. “They’re loud enough without constant laughing.”

Oz started to chuckle himself.

“They didn’t get to you too, did they?” Brian slightly glanced at Oz while keeping an eye on the road.

_“Not really. I’m just glad nothing bad happened.”_

“Yeah.” Brian chuckled too.

The rest of the ride was quiet and smooth. When they got to the apartment and out of the car, Oz sank the car into the void to make it pop up somewhere random. They carried the girls inside to their beds and tucked them in. Brian was exhausted, so he also went straight to bed. With no need to sleep Oz decided to read a book on his bed.

Right at this moment Oz felt really lucky to have such great friends. He counts himself quite fortunate to have them instead of meeting some terrible monsters when he started his life as a high schooler. He would cherish all the good and bad times they spend together for they are the closest thing to family he has. Today was mostly a great day, he hopes tomorrow would be better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm practicing my time skips and I was salty when I got the Prankmasterz ending XD


	14. Spark of Fire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oz loves cats and bumps into Damien at the library. More Color Crew shenanigans.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You could say I was feeling catty when I wrote this. Nyaa~ :3  
> I got a bit confused in writing Damien which is probably why I've actually been avoiding it XD

Thankfully by the time Amira and Vicky woke up from their slumber, they were no longer uncontrollably laughing. During their escapade last night, they found the magic store and bought a vial said to contain instant laughing gas. Trying to test of it was fake or not, they dumped all the vial liquid into the fountain causing everyone to laugh, including themselves.

Hearing what caused their laughing fit, Oz started to lecture them on proper testing procedures. This usually happens when they cause mischief by accident. If they still had the vial of instant laughing gas, Oz would have confiscated it. His lectures don’t really do anything for Amira aside from annoy her which is why he still does it. Vicky takes Oz’s words seriously since she should know better but tends to forget them when her curiosity is peaked.

* * *

Still adjusting to being normally visible, things haven’t really changed much in classes with how nondescript he naturally is. Today he had a class with Valerie and Juan, the Small Magical Latino Cat. Oz was acquainted with Juan, they often partnered up during pair/group projects. He still never talked to him though, since it still worked just fine for them with Juan doing all the talking.

Today the teacher gave them a group assignment to make a proposal plan for a mass-produced potion. As the students broke into groups, Juan hovered over to Oz as usual and Valerie was also walking towards him. Having two feline classmates approach him made Oz slightly flustered. He had stopped himself from petting Juan many times. Valerie looked more cool than cute but her swooshing tail looks so fluffy.

“Hola!” Juan plops down on the desk next Oz. “Ready for another team effort?” Oz just nods.

“Hey guys.” Valerie waved before sitting down in front of Oz. “Mind if I join you?”

“No problem. We need 3 people for the group anyway.” Juan lifted a paw up with a smug look on his face. “You don’t mind too, right Oz?” He looked up at Oz.

 _“Yeah, I’m sure Valerie has some good ideas on what people would want to buy.”_ Oz said smiling with his eyes.

“You can bet your ass I do.” Valerie smirked.

Juan looked shocked and put his paw up to his mouth. Oz just realized that he spoke without thinking. It’s going to be an awkward conversation trying to explain that he could actually talk all this time. Would it seem like Oz didn’t like Juan at all and just teamed up with him for his magical prowess? That would be terrible!

“It seems like you’ve learned how to use telepathy!” Juan looked smug again. “To think you’d master it before graduation is impressive.”

“Uh? What?” Valerie looked confused.

“Our friend here hasn’t been able to speak until now.” Juan pawed Oz’s shoulder. “Isn’t that, right?”

 _“Ummm… yeah.”_ It was a good enough excuse as any so Oz just rolled with it.

Valerie wasn’t sure if it was true or not but she just shrugged it off. They started their group assignment by discussing what kind of potion would sell if mass produced, since there were many already. There were a lot of options and Oz was the one trying to keep them focused when they went off topic. While they managed to finish the assignment, he feels like Juan and Valerie were using the topic of discussion for more personal uses.

Before they separated, Valerie made sure to remind them that she sells random stuff and to “hit her up” if they need anything. Juan hover off somewhere, his small cape fluttering looking as cute as ever. Oz was free for the next period and lunch, so he headed towards the library. Seeing his feline classmates had gave him the urge to watch cute cat videos online, so that’s what he did at the library. He could use his phone but the bigger PC screens make the cats look so much clearer.

* * *

As Oz was watching clips of cats being scared of cucumbers, he felt the fear around him rise all of a sudden. Looking up from his PC, he saw students running out of the library and the cause was none other than Damien dumping gasoline on a pile of books. Oz was in a good fluffy cat mood and didn’t want it to be ruined.

Without much thought Oz rushed towards Damien right on time as he lit a match on fire and flung it towards the pile of gassed up books. Oz caught the match in his hand before it could land, fizzing the fire out in his grasp. He then turned to Damien with a disapproving look.

 _“You are NOT burning down the library AGAIN right now!”_ Oz scolded Damien pointing at him.

All the monsters that haven’t fled the scene froze with an “oh shit!” look on their faces. Oz didn’t just yell at Damien, everybody within the library heard that. Instead of continuing their escape, they were all curious on how Damien will react to the brave soul that dared to stop him commit arson and yell at him on top of that.

Damien was ready to snap at whoever interrupted his book burning but seeing the familiar shadow monster scold him was shocking to say the least. He wasn’t really expecting to see them until next week. Aside from his dads, police, teachers and Vera no one dared to yell at him telling him what to do. His mind went blank, stuck from being angry, impressed and shocked.

A few seconds of tense silence passed and Oz realized what he just did. He’s never yelled at others aside from his friends. The thought made him feel self-conscious as he retracted his accusing finger, looked down and put both his hand behind his back.

 _“I m-mean. C-can you please burn it down later?”_ Oz said only to Damien this time.

The meek voice in his mind snapped Damien out of his daze. “O-oh sure.” He wasn’t sure why he agreed, so he continued by saying the first thing that came to mind. “But I still get to burn it down, right?”

Oz looked back at Damien. _“Sure… if you want to.”_ Collateral damage didn’t mean much to Spooky High. Even if Oz is against doing it on purpose for no reason it’s not like Damien would stop.

“Good enough I guess.” Damien pocketed his matches. “What the fuck are you doing here? I thought you went to class and shit.”

_“I have a free period so I’m killing time here.”_

The few onlookers had no idea what was going on. It looked like Damien was talking to the now fidgeting monster who isn’t saying anything back. There was still a pile of gassed up books so everyone finally decided to leave while flames haven’t started to spread.

Being the awkward bean that he was, Oz slowly walked back to his PC leaving Damien still in front of a pile of ready to burn books without another word after the demon didn’t respond. Damien stared at the pile with the urge to light it on fire. He said he won’t… but it’s so flammable! One book should be fine, right? He just said he wouldn’t burn the library, not that he wouldn’t set anything on fire.

Damien lit up another match to set fire on a smaller pile of books after only waiting for a few minutes. Before the match reached the books, Oz caught it again somehow. This time he didn’t say anything and just stomped back to where he was before. Interesting.

Damien lit up a match again just to hold it and see what happens this time. Oz quickly strode up to him and snatched the match out of his hand along with the whole box of matches Damien was holding. With no matches on hand, Damien still had a couple of lighters which also got snatched by Oz the moment he lit them up.

Rather than being annoyed that someone keeps taking his fire-starters, Damien found it oddly amusing. Just what was so important that he kept stopping Damien from starting a fire? All out of lighters and curiosity taking over, Damien moved from his pile of books towards the PCs. If he had to guess on what Oz was doing, he’d guess it would be something boring like school work.

“What you looking at, noob?” Damien grabbed Oz’s chair and pulled it back a bit.

 _“D-damien. W-why did you come over here?”_ Oz sounds flustered. His hearing was only focused on the sound of fire lighting up he didn’t realize Damien had walked over to him.

“You took all my lighters.” Damien said flatly as he looked at the PC screen.

When what he saw was a cat drinking water from a sink, it just made Damien super confused. Oz was waiting for Damien to ask for his lighters back but he didn’t. Instead, Damien fell back and started rolling on the floor laughing. This, in turn, confused Oz. Looking back at the screen it was still just more random cat clips, did Damien find cats to be hilarious? Well, since he’s not asking for his lighters back it should be fine. Oz went back to watching cat clips as Damien laughed behind him.

The paper Vera gave him did say that cats were Oz’s favorite animal, but Damien didn’t think he’d like them THAT much. Around a solid minute of rolling laughter later, Damien finally calmed down and wheezed as he got up. Oz was unphased and still staring at the screen filled with fluffy cats. Damien turned the swivel chair around so that Oz is facing him, the sudden action startled Oz. He took hold of the arm rests and looked down at Oz.

“You’re watching stupid cat videos?” Damien was still slightly giggling.

 _“Yes?”_ Oz raised a brow to the clearly obvious question.

“So, you caught fire with your hands and stopped me from burning shit just so you could watch dumb cat videos?”

 _“… Yes.”_ Oz tried to shrink in the chair, realizing how stupid that sounds.

Damien let go of the chair. “You’re one crazy bastard, you know that?” He said with a smirk.

Oz was sure that’s supposed to be a rhetorical question but he isn’t sure if Damien knew what rhetorical meant. He doesn’t know what is happening anymore but his mood has certainly plummeted, no more fluffy felines can save it now. Oz got up an tried to leave the library.

Damien grabbed Oz’s shoulder to stop him. “Where do you think you’re going, noob?”

 _“Anywhere but here.”_ Oz said in an annoyed tone.

“C’mon! Don’t be like that. I wasn’t laughing at you.” Oz turned to Damien with a skeptical look. “Okay maybe a little.” Oz narrowed his eyes more. “Maybe a lot. Look, that isn’t the point!”

 _“Then what is?”_ Oz asks, wondering why Damien is even stopping him.

“Uuuuuh.” Damien didn’t think that far ahead. “Is your hand okay? Or are you immune to fire too?” He changed the subject not knowing what else to say.

Oz shrugged Damien’s hand off his shoulder to properly face him. _“I’m not immune to fire but a small match fire doesn’t hurt.”_ He made a jazz hands motion. _“Not that you can tell the difference either way.”_

“Oh yeah, can’t see a thing.” Damien looks at Oz’s hands. “Still, it’s not everyday some noob goes around shouting and telling me what to do.” He sounds smug for some reason.

_“Vera did, just yesterday.”_

“That’s different!”

Oz just shrugged. Something about Damien’s careless statements gives him the urge to retort. Of course, he knew what the demon really meant. Oz wasn’t sure why Damien hasn’t seriously snapped at him at this point but he won’t question it. Oz’s mood has slightly recovered from the idle chatter. No longer having the impulse to leave the library, a random thought came to mind and he walked towards the pile of books Damien was ready to burn.

“Hey! Are you seriously leaving because I laughed at you!?”

_“No.”_

Damien followed Oz back to the pile of books he was going to burn. Oz knew Damien didn’t really need a reason to set things on fire but he was curious if there is a reason today. He picked up a gasoline-soaked book and read the cover, it was a textbook. Oz started to check all the books in the pile.

“Don’t tell me you’re going to read those.” Damien eyed the books in disgust.

 _“Of course not. You poured gasoline on these.”_ Oz was still rummaging the pile of books.

“Then what the hell are you doing?”

_“Wondering why you want to burn them.”_

“Hah! I burn shit all the time! There’s no reason.”

_“Then why did you bring all these textbooks to the library?”_

Damien stiffened. “What are you talking about? Those are obviously library books.”

_“No, they aren’t.”_

“How would you know!?”

 _“Because they aren’t labeled.”_ Oz holds a book up showing its spine as he points to a book shelf. All the books have stickers on their spines.

The jig was up, now it was Damien’s turn to try and leave the library. Oz stopped Damien by grabbing his wrist before he could leave. Unlike Oz who wasn’t seriously trying run from the library, Damien seriously tried to struggle but the iron grip on him wouldn’t budge.

 _“Leaving already?”_ Oz said sarcastically. _“Aren’t you going to take your books with you?”_

Perhaps he was still feeling a bit miffed that Damien laughed at him for a whole minute. Regardless, he wasn’t going to let the demon escape. Damien is still struggling, not as hard as he could be but still pretty hard.

“LET ME GO OR I’LL BURN YOUR FACE OFF!”

_“I have all your lighters.” And I don’t have much of a face to begin with._

Shit, Damien forgot about that. “THEN I’LL STAB YOU!” He pulled a knife out of his jacket.

 _“Alright. Alright. Calm down.”_ Oz let Damien go. _“You could have just burned these somewhere else.”_

Hearing the word ‘burn’ did calm Damien down a bit but he glared at Oz and hasn’t put the knife away. It reminded Oz of a feral cat, maybe he watched too many cat videos after all. He might have gone a bit too far with the teasing but to be fair he didn’t really do much. The palpable fear radiating from the demon is no joke, although Oz has no idea what he did to cause it. He could find out but that would be very invasive to someone he wasn’t close with.

 _“So, are you going to tell me why you want to burn these books here or continue to glare at me?”_ Oz refrained from pointing out to Damien that he could actually run away now.

Damien continued to glare at Oz as he was having an internal panic. Sure, there was the initial panic of being found out that he actually owned those books, then there was the shock of how strong Oz was to hold him in place. But he really didn’t want to say why he was in the library to begin with since it would ruin his bad boy image.

The fact that Oz was the one confronting him also made Damien embarrassed since he’s obviously smart. He’s sure Oz would laugh at him if he told him what was going on (disregarding that he laughed at Oz just moments ago). It wouldn’t have been a problem if it was some random fucker but Oz wasn’t just some random guy, he was a cool dude that Damien actually wanted to be friends with.

Oz folded his arms and started to tap his foot. He wasn’t impatient but he figured doing this would help Damien reach a conclusion on what to do next, since he looked agitated. Even if he did run out of the room, Oz wouldn’t go chasing after him. The pose seemed to be effective, Damien pocketed his knife and took a deep breath. Seeing this, Oz stopped tapping his foot since he thought it was actually annoying.

“I was studying.” Damien whispered, turning away. Oz wouldn’t have heard it if he didn’t have good hearing.

Oz took a moment to process it. Basically, Damien was studying but got frustrated so he wanted to burn the books. That sounds about right. Oz isn’t sure how that would cause embarrassment since he thought Damien was openly stupid and learning is what students should be doing.

 _“Are you sure you want to burn them?”_ Oz looked at the pile of books.

“What?” Damien whipped back looking at Oz in confusion.

_“Won’t you need the books? Ah, well, you already poured gasoline on them.”_

“Yeah, I’m still burning them.” Damien said feebly.

It was odd to see Damien looking visibly down when it’s not because of boredom. Oz feels a bit guilty for probably causing it.

 _“Then…”_ Oz pulled out one of Damien’s lighters out of thin air. _“do you want to do it now?”_

“Huh?” Damien wasn’t sure if he was seeing or hearing things right. “Weren’t you the one that told me not to?”

 _“You already ruined my cat watching. I don’t care if you burn them now or later.”_ Oz said nonchalantly as he tossed the lighter to Damien.

The prospect of arson made Damien’s eyes light up. “FUCK YEAH! LET’S BURN THESE SUCKERS!”

Damien proceeded to set the pile of books on fire. Oz went to go open the window and picked up a nearby fire extinguisher as Damien was distracted by the fire. While the fire from the books was pretty big, it wasn’t really spreading. It’s kind of like a big bonfire in the middle of the library. A tiny explosion was made, probably from the lighter being burned. Damien cackled at the flames while Oz thought they really should have done this outside.

The roar of Crazy Martin the Werebear Janitor could be heard along with the sound of his stomps coming closer.

“Oh shit!” Damien starts to panic again. “I already exceeded my arson quota this week!” He turned to Oz. “Dude, what are we gonna do!?”

Oz didn’t answer and put the fire out with ease using the fire extinguisher he was already holding.

“Okay, that gets rid of the fire but what about-.” Damien was interrupted by Oz spraying him with the fire extinguisher.

Damien was completely covered in white foam. Before Damien could react, Oz sprayed himself with the extinguisher, threw it far away, then pushed Damien down on his back to the puddle of white on the floor.

 _“Stay still and close your eyes.”_ Oz said curtly as he also laid down on the floor.

With the sound of Crazy Martin very close, Damien laid still having no idea what the fuck was going on. The library door burst open revealing a rabid Werebear scanning the room but seeing that nobody was there, he went off to search for the troublemakers that messed up the library he’ll have to clean later.

When Oz was certain the Crazy Martin was gone, he got up and wiped the foam off his face.

 _“We better get going before he decides to come back and clean up.”_ Oz shook the foam off his hands as he walked towards the still opened door.

As he got closer to the door, he realized that the demon wasn’t following him and hasn’t moved from the floor.

 _“Damien?”_ Oz looked back. _“You can move now.”_

“HOLY SHIT!” Damien jumped up. “How the fuck did that even work!?”

 _“Camouflage.”_ Oz gestures to himself and the foam that was on the floor. _“Anyway, I’m going home to change. Bye.”_

Oz walked out the door. When Damien rushed out to catch up to him, Oz was already gone. He didn’t want to walk around school covered in foam, so he teleported back home through the void. There was still a lot of time before his next class, Oz took the opportunity to take a shower while he’s at it.

As he changed into a pair of identical clothes, he felt like he forgot something, aside from leaving Damien covered in foam since that was intentional. Right, he still had Damien’s matches and lighters. Well, Oz neither needed or wanted them so giving them back the next time they meet should be fine. Besides, he’s sure Damien had a lot more stashed somewhere. At that moment his phone vibrated.

* * *

Damien has vacated to the bathrooms that were currently empty and was silently freaking out. He had cleaned up somewhere and changed into a spare outfit he kept in his locker in case he managed to start a food fight. His emotions were running high and there were currently a lot of them mixed up right now.

He was distracted by the arson which in hindsight might have been the point. Oz didn’t really sound enthusiastic about it but he let Damien burn the books anyway, despite his version of aggressively stopping Damien from doing so earlier. But now that the rush was gone it was pretty clear Oz was trying to cheer him up. Why though? It was the perfect time to laugh at Damien and he couldn’t even refute it.

The bad boy Damien LaVey was studying in the library of his own will, nobody would believe that even if they tried to spread it. Or at least he hopes so. Not that it was even a problem since Oz himself said he didn’t talk to many monsters. But what if that was a lie? No, it had to be the truth, he didn’t look like the talkative sort. But he also didn’t look strong so who knows what’s real anymore. The more Damien finds out about Oz the more it became confusing to know what’s what.

It feels like every interaction they have ends up horribly, as if Damien had chosen all the wrong things to say or do. On the other hand, Oz just seems to barely tolerate him, at least Damien thinks he does. Not only is Oz smart, he’s also cool, surprisingly strong and a quick thinker. Even Liam tends to be hard-pressed to think of something in the heat of the moment when things go wrong.

Okay, so facts. Oz let him burn the books in the library, didn’t ask any invasive questions about said burned books and in the end helped him avoid getting into trouble from burning the books. Did he really not care or think it was weird? Was Damien just overreacting? Well, he overreacts to most things. Not that he would admit it, but Oz kind of terrified him when he was holding Damien in place with ease. Damien would have actually stabbed him if Oz didn’t let him go, though something tells him it wouldn’t have made a difference.

Damien had thought that they sounded weirdly timid during their last text conversation but he really is moody. Like he switches his demeanor with every moment that passes, making Damien not sure how to react in turn. This wouldn’t be so complicated if he actually knew Oz. That reminds him, Amira is friends with Oz, she’ll probably know more about him than Vera would and wouldn’t charge him for it.

For now, he’s just going to assume Oz doesn’t care about what happened earlier. The next time they meet he’ll act like nothing strange happened. Yep, that’s totally normal. Oz said he was going home so he won’t be at school until Monday. Next, he’s going to ask Amira about Oz, she’s certainly getting lunch at the cafeteria. If she isn’t, she’ll probably show up at one of Polly’s parties or if a rave is going on at the party tree.

* * *

It was currently lunchtime and Oz is at the nurse’s office with Brian and Vicky. The zombie had texted him earlier to help get some magical medical thread. Oz was slightly shocked to see his both his friends missing an arm (Left arm for Brian and Right arm for Vicky). They were both sitting on the same bed, Oz grabbed a stool to sit in front of them.

_“What on earth happened?”_

“Double chainsaw.” Brian deadpans.

“What he said.” Vicky gave a nod.

Welp, that sounds normal. Probably just another experiment gone wrong.

 _“Alright. I brought the thread kit.”_ Oz took out the kit from his backpack.

“Thanks a lot Oz! Sorry to bother you with this but I really need my right arm back as soon as possible and THEY DON’T HAVE THE GOOD STUFF HERE!” Vicky glared at nurse Chupacabra who’s not paying attention to them.

Oz chuckled. _“Sure, I was already at the apartment anyway so it’s no problem.”_

“Wait, you were?” Vicky turned to Oz. “Why?”

_“I needed to clean up.”_

Vicky raised a brow and started to sniff the air. “What happened to you that you had to take a shower!?” she gasps.

Brian sighs. “I’m starting to think Scott is a bad influence on you.”

“Shut up Brian! Sniffing is useful!” Vicky tried to smack him using her chopped off arm.

“Stop doing that.” Brian caught her arm and took it away.

“Noooo! Give it back!” Vicky tries to get it back but Brian held it too high for her to reach while sitting down.

“Oz, hurry up and sow this back on her before she loses it again.” Brian tossed the arm to Oz.

 _“Again?”_ Oz caught the arm.

“Hey! I didn’t lose it! That owlbear stole it!” Vicky puffed out her cheeks.

“Because you thought it was a good idea to poke an owlbear using your severed arm for some reason.” Brian said exasperated.

Oz would question how they bumped into an owlbear when they should have been on their way to the nurse’s office but he’s seen a pack of hyenas lurking outside the bathrooms before. Just typical Spooky High randomness he guessed.

 _“Anyway, you need to stay still if you want this arm attached to you.”_ Oz waves her arm.

“Oh, right!” Vicky stopped moving.

Oz began to stich her arm back together and Vicky tried to stay still while Brian just waited.

“Hey, you never told me what happened that you had to go home and take a shower.” Vicky asks.

 _“Hm? Oh, I just got sprayed with a fire extinguisher.”_ Oz nonchalantly said as he focused on Vicky’s arm.

“How?” Vicky raised a brow.

_“I sprayed myself.”_

“What!?” Vicky gasped.

_“Don’t move!”_

“S-sorry. But why would you spray yourself with a fire extinguisher?”

_“I’ll tell you if you tell me how a double chainsaw caused this.”_

“Uuuuh…” Vicky turned to Brian and he shook his head. Oz was busy sewing so he didn’t see the exchange. “Nevermind then.”

Not that they didn’t want to tell Oz what actually happened with the double chainsaw, it was pretty funny actually if not a bit embarrassing. But this was usually Oz’s way to say he didn’t really want to talk about it indirectly. Sometimes Vicky would push for more details but there was a 50-50 chance things would go wrong depending on Oz’s mood.

 _“Okay, that should do it.”_ Oz cuts the thread. _“Try moving your fingers.”_

After a few moments Vicky could finally move the fingers on her right arm.

“Alright! Good as new!” Vicky moved her arms around in a circular motion. “I’ll do Brian’s now”

“No.”

“Why not!? You know I’m good at it!”

“Because you won’t do it normally.”

“What do you mean?” Vicky tilts her head.

“You’ll either take forever using a complicated stitch type or try to mess it up by making some weird patterns.”

“Pffft... Whaaaat? Nooo, I would never. Why would you think that?” Vicky giggled mischievously.

Brian turned to their trustworthy shadowy friend. “Oz.”

 _“Sure.”_ Oz prepared a new needle to use.

“Fine! Be that way.” Vicky stuck her tongue out. “I’ll go have lunch with Amira and Scott or something.” She proceeded to leave the room in a huff.

 _“Would it really have been that bad?”_ Oz looked at the door.

“100%”

* * *

Vicky did plan to mess with Brian’s stitches and her plan was foiled before she could even try. It probably wasn’t possible when the only time she doesn’t mess with his stitches is when it’s his head that’s detached. Ever since Oz tried to help stitch them up the first time, Brian never let Vicky near his severed limbs again, it’s actually justified.

Lunch has been going on for some time now so there were no empty tables. Vicky went to get her lunch and looked for Amira or Scott. Scott was sitting with Polly meaning it was probably a Prankmasterz meeting. Vera was sitting with Liam and Miranda. Amira was sitting by herself. Vicky got her food and walked towards Amira’s table.

“Hey Vick! Where have you been?” Amira waved.

“The nurse’s office.” Vicky showed her new stitches.

“Cool! What happened?” Amira looks excited.

“Well, you see…”

Vicky told Amira the tale of the double chainsaw incident and what follows with exaggeration and wild gestures. Just a usual routine they do when something slightly interesting happens. As Vicky was getting to the part where her and Brian got her arm back from the foul owlbear, they were interrupted.

“Sup, losers.” Damien had taken a seat at their table.

“What do you want demon boy?” Amira crossed her arms.

“Can’t a guy just sit and have lunch?” Damien gestured at his tray.

“You never sit with us.” Vicky also crossed her arms.

“Yeah, so what do you want?” Amira had a scrutinizing gaze.

“Fine. I wanna ask about your friend Oz.”

Amira and Vicky looked at each other with a skeptical look before turning back to Damien. “Why?” They ask in unison.

“Because I’m curious! That’s Why!” Damien slammed a fist on the table.

“Ooookay.” Vicky raised a brow. “What exactly do you want to know?”

Amira grabbed Vicky by the shoulders and whispered in her ears. “Are you sure we should tell him anything?”

“It’s fine. If he’s up to no good we can deal with him.” Vicky whispered back.

They weren’t whispering very well and Damien could hear what they said clearly but decided to ignore it for now.

“What’s he like?” Damien asked.

“What?” They said in unison again.

“Uuuuh… y’know. How would you describe him? Like, is he a cool monster that likes fire and shit?” Damien rubs the back of his neck.

“You mean his personality?” Amira asks.

“Yeah, that.”

“Aww, well, if that’s what you want to know. Oz is-.” Amira covered Vicky’s mouth before she could answer.

“If you want to know, you’re gonna have to pay up.” Amira smirks.

“Why the fuck should I?” Damien scowled.

“Because it’s only fair if you pay Vera then you have to pay us too.” Amira says as she removed her hand from Vicky’s mouth.

“Yeah!” Vicky added realizing Amira’s scheme.

“HOW DID YOU KNOW!?”

“I was there when you first asked her, remember?” Amira wiggled here eyebrows “Where do you think she got her info from?”

No, he did not remember and no, she isn’t the main source but just a tip-line. Damien had no way of knowing if it’s true or not when he won’t cut the middle-man and just ask the source. With no other options he agreed to pay the girls for more information on Oz. They didn’t actually ask for much compared to Vera.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been thinking of adding something to the title like: The Deadline (Oz Odyssey)  
> Since the deadline isn't coming anytime soon with the pace I'm using. I've already left plenty of vague breadcrumbs I haven't even used yet.


	15. Loosen Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oz meets more monsters and goes to party.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I imagine the snack table like those park wooden tables with benches attached to them.  
> With that out of the way I wish I knew what feeling high or drunk feels like. I got super distracted writing this and it ended up way longer than I intended as per usual by now so enjoy the random things I googled and put in here lol

Oz has finished stitching Brian’s arm back. Unlike Vicky’s stitches where Oz used an interrupted suture so it took some time to do properly. Brian was stitched up using the continuous suture which is a lot simpler, taking way less time to do. The reason for this was that Vicky was not going to take it easy after getting her arm back and using it like it was never chopped off, Brian on the other hand won’t be moving much to let his arm reattach naturally as it should before pulling out the stitches in a few hours.

 _“Are you going to the cafeteria?”_ Oz checked his watch. _“There’s still some time.”_

“Nah. I’ve had enough excitement for the day.”

While chaos wasn’t a certainty at the cafeteria it still had most of the student body gathered in one place at a specific time, being at Spooky High, you can never be too sure. Brian also wanted to avoid the girls for now since he’s tired from the whole double chainsaw incident. Since his jacket is still torn from where his arm was cut off, he’ll just not wear it for the rest of the day.

_“So, skipping the rest of the day?”_

“Pretty much. Wanna hang out in the library?”

 _“That’s… not a good idea. It’s a complete mess there.”_ Oz turned away.

“Oh. What… nevermind.” Brian scratched his head. “Still wanna hang?”

_“Sure.”_

They left the nurse’s office to go… somewhere, Brian wasn’t even sure where he was going and Oz just followed as usual. With the library not being an option there were still a few places they could go to relax. An empty classroom, the auditorium, the bathrooms or outside of it and under the bleachers. Thinking on it, Brian was about to choose the bathrooms but something else came to mind so he decided to go under the bleachers.

When they got there, there was a plant monster chilling under the bleachers just as Brian hoped. It was none other than Kale, his fellow occasional football teammate and weed buddy. If Oz was making new friends, Brian might as well save himself from some trouble by introducing Oz to someone just as elusive as him. He’s sure they’ll get along and with Kale being chill it would be less pressure on Oz.

“Hey man.” Kale waved. “Who’s that?”

“Hey.” Brian waved back. “This is my friend Oz. Oz this is Kale.” He gently pushed Oz forward from behind him.

 _“H-hello. It’s nice to meet you.”_ Oz said shyly.

“Woah, am I high or did you speak into my mind?” Kale’s eyes slightly widen.

 _“T-the latter?”_ Oz tilted his head.

“Wicked.” Kale turns to Brian. “Here to get away from Blue again?”

“Yeah, just got my arm back.” Brian showed his stitches.

“Damn, sounds rough.”

“It’s nothing new.” Brian shrugs. “Got Oz here to patch me up.” He pulled Oz close by the shoulders.

“Noice.” Kale nods.

Oz was fidgeting, glancing at both monsters unsure if he should say anything. Brian gave his shoulder a small squeeze and let out a chuckle.

“Mind if he joins us today?”

“It’s cool. I was just playing Pokemans GO.” Kale shows his phone screen.

 _“Pokemans… GO?”_ Oz curiously looked at the screen.

“You don’t know Pokemans GO!?” Kale looks shocked.

Oz shakes his head. _“I-I’ve only played Pokeman on the GameBoy.”_

“Then you’ve gotta try Pokemans GO.”

Kale proceeded to install Pokemans GO on Oz’s phone and teach him how to play while Brian watched. Oz was in the middle of the tutorial because he was indecisive on which Pokeman to catch as a starter when the bell rang.

Oz checked his watch. _“Lunch is already over.”_

“Aww, are you going now?” Kale sounds dejected. “I mean it’s cool if you have to.”

It only took a moment for Oz to ponder his options. As much as he follows the general rules of being a student, it’s a rare bonding moment with someone new and while still not getting how Pokemans GO works he’s interested to find out.

 _“No, I’ll be skipping too.”_ Oz waved his phone. _“I still don’t know how to play this game, yet.”_

“Great. Now we can finally get into the gameplay.” Kale smiled.

 _“But before that.”_ Oz took out a small box container from his backpack and gave it to Brian. _“Here.”_

Brian took the box with a raised brow. “What’s this?”

 _“Sandwiches.”_ Oz scratched his cheek. _“I didn’t make any for Vicky since you didn’t mention her in the text and I wasn’t sure how long things would take so I made some in case you missed lunch but then I sort of forgot about it and just remembered I had it now.”_ He waved his hand in front of his face. _“O-of course you don’t have to eat it if you’re not hungry. It’s just some sliced up brains with bread anyway so it’s more like a snack than an actual lunch I guess if you count the nutrients, I didn’t even add anything else in it so it’s probably bland, not that would know what that means but-.“_

Brian ruffled Oz’s hair. “Thanks.” He smiles.

_“Y-you’re welcome.”_

“You okay there, Kale?” Brian turned to Kale who looked dazed.

“Dude… you lost me after sandwiches.”

 _“I-it wasn’t important.”_ Oz quicky pulls up his phone. _“Anyway, what should I do now?”_

Kale continued to help Oz though the tutorial while Brian ate his sandwiches. Once Oz was finally done with the tutorial, the 3 of them went off walking leisurely around school to catch some wild Pokemans then returned back to where they were. After having his first battle with Kale which Oz somehow won probably due to luck (and the fact that Kale’s Pokemans were weak), Oz now knew the basics and was tinkering with all the menus.

“So, what do you think?” Kale asks.

 _“Hmmm… it’s different than the usual Pokeman but it’s kind of fun to collect them.”_ Oz replied still looking at his phone. _“I don’t really like the battle system though.”_

“Yeah, I know what you mean. It being real time stresses me out more than regular turn base battles.” Kale nods. “I just like collecting the funny-looking ones and just hang with them.”

Kale showed his collection of Pokemans to Oz, there were many funny-looking ones that stand out among all the usual looking lawyer type Pokeman that oversaturates the game somehow, he even had some special ones with unique outfits. The 2 started talking about the differences of normal Pokeman and GO. Brian chimed in saying that the original is way better in every way, the main reason being you had to actually WALK AROUND to find Pokeman in GO, they chuckled at that reasoning.

After some time passed Oz was done with Pokemans GO for the day since it is a mobile game and was meant to be played daily for a short period of time (curse you daily logins). He hasn’t really played many mobile games. The only ones he tried were either 3 match games or something similar. With that topic out of the way, it was probably a good chance to try and engage in some small talk.

 _“So, do you often come here to play Pokemans GO?”_ Oz asks.

“Kind of, but not to play Pokemans GO.” Oz tilted his head at Kale’s answer. “I mostly just chill here and smoke weed. Sometimes with Brian or Polly. Speaking of which, do you mind if I smoke a joint?”

 _“I don’t mind.”_ Oz shook his head.

Kale pulls out two joints and hands one over to Brian, which he took.

“Shit.” Kale rummaged around his pockets. “I don’t have a lighter.”

“Bummer.” Brian grunted.

 _“Oh, I have one.”_ Oz pulled a lighter out of thin air and gave it to Kale. _“You can keep it.”_

Considering what happened to the last lighter he tossed (exploded in fire), Oz was sure Damien wouldn’t realize a single one missing, if he even remembers Oz took a bunch of his lighters.

“Thanks man.” Kale took the lighter and they proceeded to light the joints.

Some phobias popped out from Oz’s shoulders with curious looks. Apparently, they wanted to try a joint. Oz wonders what would happen if he let them. Would it effect his body? Can it effect his body? He isn’t entirely sure if any substance can but nothing the phobias ate has any effect on him so far. Technically anything they ate gets transferred to the void since keeping chewed food and liquid in his body felt icky.

“Woah, what are those?” Kale pointed at the phobias. “Or am I seeing things?”

 _“These are phobias. They’re like a part of me, kind of like Vera’s hair.”_ The phobias wave with smiles.

“Huh, I never thought of it like that.” Brian took a hit. “They totally are.”

“Cool. What do they do?” Kale asks.

 _“Ummm… that’s… well…”_ Oz looked down at his phobias and they tiled their tiny bodies.

“They kind of just pop out randomly and steal food if you’re not careful.” Brian answered instead.

“They can eat!?” Kale gasps.

“Yeah, stole my breakfast once.”

“Damn.”

Oz turned to Brian and gave him a private “Thanks.” with smiling eyes, Brian gave a small smile in response. The phobias went back into Oz and the 3 continued to make small talk. At one point, Oz started to ask what weed does. Being slightly high, Kale tried to answer and told Oz about the two main types of weed. Sativa cannabis stimulates the mind and makes you feel more energetic, preferred for day use. Indica cannabis has a relaxing effect and gives a body buzz, preferred for night use. There were also hybrids that combines the two types and their effects.

Brian was a bit zoned out as Kale was talking to Oz, it reminded him of class. His mind began to wander, so Oz really can speak to others. Nervously at first but that’s how it’s always been. Hmmm… it’s a good thing Oz made him those sandwiches because he’s starting to feel hungry but not too much, probably would be more if he had nothing for lunch. Ugh, it’s his turn to buy groceries tomorrow, not gonna think about that for now.

Despite Brian’s worries over the week, it seems like Oz is doing just fine. With everything that’s happened this week, Oz hasn’t gone into a seriously depressed state so that’s a good sign. Perhaps he was overthinking things. If something really bad had happened, surely Oz would have told Brian by now… maybe not. It’s not like they both tell each other everything considering that they’re both the type that doesn’t like to pry into other people’s issues.

Sure, Brian has told Oz many things that even Amira and Vicky don’t know about and vice versa but they still hold back a lot. Brian’s never been very expressive unless he’s in an energetic mood which is few and far between his usual laziness. Oz never pushed Brian to say things he didn’t want to, regardless of how trivial they were so he wanted to do the same. He didn’t want to push his luck and ask things that might make Oz uncomfortable but he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t curious.

It should be fine. Nothing huge is going to change. If making more friends is what he wants then it shouldn’t be a problem. All of them except for Oz had friends outside of their little group. It all seemed more natural now that he’s had time to process everything, although Brian’s still a bit uneasy with the whole Damien and Vera thing.

* * *

**_Color Crew Group Chat_ **

**Amira:** Hey guys! Where you at?

 **Vicky:** And by guys she means you boys.

 **Brian:** We’re just chilling

 **Amira:** Both of you?

 **Brian:** Yah

 **Vicky:** Come join us at the party tree!

 **Amira:** There’s a huge rave right now

 **Brian:** Sounds troublesome

 **Amira:** cmon it’ll be fun

 **Vicky:** Yeah! It’ll be a great way to end the school week!

 **Vicky:** Especially for you Oz!

 **Oz:** Me? (≖_≖ )

 **Brian:** :O

 **Vicky:** Don’t look at me like that!

 **Brian:** What are you two plotting?

 **Amira:** Nothing

 **Amira:** I told her you guys wouldn’t go for it

 **Oz:** For what?

 **Vicky:** A good way to celebrate Oz coming out!

 **Amira:** …

 **Brian:** …

 **Oz:** …

 **Vicky:** YOU KNOW WHAT I MEANT!

 **Oz:** Okay, sure. But why a rave?

 **Amira:** Beats me

 **Vicky:** It’s the perfect place to show up and shine!

 **Oz:** I don’t want to stand out.

 **Vicky:** Fine.

 **Vicky:** Then is the perfect place to mingle with strangers.

 **Brian:** I’m not sure about that

 **Amira:** Almost everyone from school is here now so I guess it is

 **Vicky:** Come on!

 **Vicky:** Please!

 **Vicky:** Please! Please!

 **Vicky:** Please! Please! Please!

 **Vicky:** Please! Please! Please! Please!

 **Brian:** Stop spamming!

 **Vicky:** Please! Please! Please! Please! Please!

 **Vicky:** Oops.

 **Vicky:** Look, you don’t even have to mingle if you don’t want to like usual but please come.

 **Vicky:** We’re gonna let loose and drink a lot of booze XD

 **Brian:** Basically u 2 might get plastered and can’t go home

 **Vicky:** Basically XP

 **Brian:** Why not just lead with that?

 **Vicky:** Hey! I meant what I said before!

 **Oz:** Where’s Amira?

 **Vicky:** She went off somewhere when I started spamming.

 **Vicky:** Probably to get a drink.

 **Vicky:** So, you 2 are coming, right?

 **Vicky:** I’m off to the dance floor!

 **Oz:** Wait! I haven’t decided yet!

 **Oz:** Hello?

Oz stared at his phone still uncertain of what to do. Vicky’s expecting him to be there but it doesn’t look like he has to be there right that instant. Maybe he could head there when it’s very late and they start to ask where he is. She did make a point of it being a good place to mingle but can he even handle that now? Oz could barely make the first move let alone mingle in a crowed.

“Is everything alright?” Kale asks. “You’ve just been staring at your phone for a while now.”

“We were asked to go to a rave at the party tree now.” Brian answered.

“Ah, are you two going?” Kale turned to Brian.

“I’m going but…” Brian looks at Oz who’s still staring at their phone. “Oz?” He finally looked up. “You don’t have to go. I can handle them.”

Oz felt conflicted looking at Brian and the phone. _“N-no… I’ll go too.”_

“You sure?”

 _“Y-yeah… I just have to… mentally prepare.”_ Oz hugged his knees and stared at the grass.

Multiple phobias started to pop in and out all over his body, the ones on his shoulders look like they’re trying to comfort him. Kale had no idea what he was seeing and assumed it was the weed then started to talk about something with Brian but Oz wasn’t listening.

The voices in Oz’s head said it will be alright and that there was nothing to fear. He wasn’t even sure why he was nervous, it’s not like he’s never been there before but there was a huge difference between those times and now, he was clearly visible. A part of him thinks it’s not a big deal, he probably wouldn’t even attract any attention but another part of him says the opposite. The tiny voices of the phobias started to get impatient saying: just go already it might be fun.

A few moments pass and the phobias stopped popping up. Oz didn’t say anything and looked up to the sky that was already dark showing some stars. It should be fine, Vicky said he didn’t have to mingle and Brian would be there too. He had to try this eventually so might as well jump into it while he has some support. Before Oz was ready to go, he decided to remove Brian’s stitches first to slightly delay their departure.

They said their goodbyes to Kale and headed towards the outside party tree. The closer they got, they could hear the sound of music blasting in the air. There were obviously a lot of monsters gathered and Oz hid behind Brian’s large frame clutching his short shirt sleeve. They were near the snacks and drink table, Oz kept glancing around trying to spot either Amira or Vicky among the crowd while Brian took some snacks to eat.

“Hey boo!” A ghost popped out from the ground.

 _“Eeep!”_ Oz was startled by the sudden appearance and hid behind Brian again.

It was Polly. “Wow, I didn’t think I’d finally surprise you B!” She got closer to Brian’s neutral looking face. “But you don’t look surprised.” Polly looked confused.

“That wasn’t me.” Brian looked down behind him.

“Dang. I thought I finally spooked you.” Polly pouted. “Who’s that?” She perked back up.

“A friend.” Brian said flatly.

Realizing it was just their energetic party ghost classmate Oz peeked out from Brian’s side. _“H-hello, I’m Oz.”_

“Hiya Oz! I’m fan favorite Polly!” Polly hovered closer to Oz. “Are you ready to party or what!?”

Oz backed up a bit. _“Or what?”_

“EXACTLY!” Polly did a loop in the air and came back down.

“Polly, are you high or drunk?” Brian asked.

“Totally both!” Polly giggled. “You look like you need to loosen up.” She smirked at Oz.

 _“… Probably.”_ Oz thought that things weren’t really as scary as he thought it could be and nobody has really glanced at him so maybe he should.

“Then let’s go!” Polly went behind Oz, wrapped her arms around his chest and floated up carrying him. “Time to dance!”

Both Brian and Oz’s mind went blank from the sudden movements that when they realized what was happening, Oz and Polly were high up in the sky. Oz didn’t struggle and just let it happen now that he was floating in the air. Polly had them land in the middle of a dancing crowd and started to dance herself while Oz just stood still unsure of what to do.

“C’mon boo. You dance too!” Polly said as she moved around dancing.

 _“I-I don’t think I can.”_ Oz glanced around at all the dancing monsters.

“That’s your first mistake.” Polly grabbed Oz’s hand and twirled him around. “Don’t think! Just move your body!”

Don’t think while moving? Well, he certainly is spinning. After a few spins Polly released him and continued dancing. Oz took a few seconds to recover from all the sudden spinning and looked around. Everyone around was busy doing their own little dance to pay attention to anything. Perhaps it wouldn’t hurt to try as long as people weren’t looking. He’s already been swept up by this tornado of a party ghost, might as well see where it goes.

Oz wasn’t confident in freestyling but seeing as everyone else didn’t look like they know what their doing made him feel less self-conscious. He started by following Polly a bit minus all the hip movements then just changed to move randomly.

“That’s the spirit!” Polly cheered still dancing.

A few minutes of random movements later it didn’t really feel natural yet, then Oz remembered some dancing videos he stumbled upon and started to tap dance. While the ground didn’t really suit the dance and Oz wasn’t sure he was doing it right, he was having fun doing his version of tap dancing. He tapped his feet on the ground as his arms swayed from side to side almost looking like he was dabbing with the occasional claps and twirls. The movements felt light and it was less stressful than doing DDR.

“Woah, I’ve never seen moves like that.” Polly was watching Oz with wide eyes.

Oz stopped dancing to face Polly. _“O-oh, is it weird?”_ He pulled on his sleeve feeling a bit self-conscious.

“Naww, it was cool! What was that?” Polly beamed.

_“Tap dancing? I think.”_

“Whaaaat? I thought tap dancing was just lightly stomping in one place.” Polly looked shocked.

_“Well, no, that’s not really how tap dancing works.”_

“Seriously!?”

 _“Ummm…”_ Oz looked around again, still being in the middle of a dancing crowd then turned back to Polly. _“If we get out of this crowd, I can show you a video.”_

Polly immediately swooped him up again and got them out to the edge of the dancing crowd. Oz showed Polly the tap dancing video and her eyes sparkled in fascination. He also wanted to see the video again to see if he was doing things right, it was a bit off but he was no tap expert so it was fine. (Visual aid: [Tap Dancing Video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAU8eBek_NU))

Once the video ended Polly said something about doing exactly what the video showed together and swooped Oz back into the dancing crowd before he could respond. Oz wasn’t sure he could pull it off but Polly looked really excited he couldn’t say no. Surprisingly, Polly got the moves down well enough to make their dancing seem to match the video choreography so they danced away. Some got curious with their unusual dancing and started to follow them, soon enough a group of monsters were doing synchronized tap dancing.

When Oz realized that they’ve somehow made a group of tap dancing monsters he felt like that was his que to tap dance out of the scene while Polly was still leading the group. It’s probably about time he searched his friends that are possibly drunk and Brian. Oz wandered around aimlessly and finally found Amira and Vicky in the middle of a drinking match with the crowd chanting “chug, chug, chug.”. As he got closer, he saw Brian near them as a fellow spectator and Damien was another contestant apparently.

Oz slipped through the crowd to get next to Brian. _“How long has this been going on?”_

A bit startled, Brian glanced around and saw Oz. “Oh, it hasn’t been long. What happened to Polly?”

 _“She’s dancing.”_ Oz didn’t really feel like elaborating what happened right now, maybe later in a less chaotic environment.

They watched their 2 friends get wasted and Vicky was the first to drop out, she didn’t really pass out but she puked making her disqualified. As she was puking some other contestants fell or puked too, leaving only Amira and Damien to square off. Finished puking Vicky dejectedly headed towards Brian.

“OZ! YOU CAME!” Vicky glomped Oz as soon as she saw him.

There was an odd spraying sound when Oz accepted the aggressive hug and the crowd cheered for some reason.

“HELL YEAH! I WIN!” Amira slammed her bottle on the table.

“THAT DOESN’T COUNT! I CAN STILL DRINK!” Damien protested.

“Accept the defeat Damien. Spitting out the booze counts for disqualification.” Vera said behind him. “Alright! Everyone that lost pay up!” She turned to the crowd menacingly.

 _“There were bets?”_ Oz asks.

Vicky broke the hug and looked at Vera. “Not sure when that happened.” She turned back to Oz. “We just sort of started it when Brian showed up and a bunch of people joined in.”

Damien still looked like he wanted to protests but reluctantly took his defeat. Amira was ecstatic from winning and approached Vera who was collecting money from the crowd. Vicky asked Oz if he was doing fine in this huge crowd, when he said he was fine, she gave him another hug. Feeling a bit refreshed from puking, Vicky ran off somewhere while Amira was also gone from sight leaving Brian and Oz behind.

_“Think we should look for them?”_

“Nope.” Brian shook his head. “What do you want to do now?”

_“Hmmm… just wander around.”_

“You okay now?”

_“Yeah, I’m used to it now.”_

“Alright then. I’ll be at the snack table.” Brian waved as he walked away.

Oz went and wondered around like he said. It seems like he still blends in well enough in a rowdy environment which is a relief. When he checked the dance crowd, some were still tap dancing somehow, Amira and Vicky were among them so he just walked away. At least he knew where they were. He headed towards the big dead tree and looking at how tall it is gives him an idea. Instead of sitting on one of the benches under the tree he decided to climb up the tree and sit on one of the branches to see the party from above.

It’s been a very eventful day. Oz didn’t think he’d be calm enough to think in the middle of a party when he’s visible but even parties have their slightly quieter spots. Recalling the events of the day he sure met and talked with a lot of people more than usual. He even got a new number in his contacts (Kale) which makes him have 6 numbers in total. Oz wonders if Polly would even remember tonight considering her tendency to forget due to being drunk or high or both, he wouldn’t really mind if she forgot since he can’t really believe it happened.

Oz did what he usually does in parties now that he’s got time to himself and just observed what everyone else was doing from the tree branch. He could see most of the area from where he sat but it’s hard to see any of his friends among the crowd when they look pretty small. In the middle of his people watching a certain demon prince walked towards a bench under the tree and sat on it.

Feeling pretty positive, Oz thought to make the first move and slid down the tree through the shadows so he doesn’t make a noise due to landing from such a high place (not that anyone would care).

Oz tapped Damien’s shoulder from behind. _“Hey, Damien. Taking a break?”_

Damien seemed startled and turned back. “O-oh, hey noob.” Oz sat next to Damien on the bench. “Yeah, been moving around too much.”

The low energy reply made Oz think it was better to just stay silent if they’re that tired. He pondered if it was a good time to return Damien’s lighters but he might be drunk and that’s not a good condition to give a pyromaniac some lighters. On the other hand, he’d really like to stop holding on to items he forcibly took from a classmate he’s acquainted with. The thought that Damien might be mad from what happened earlier came to mind but knowing how very expressive he was with anger, Oz erased that possibility.

* * *

Earlier that day during lunch Damien got more intel on Oz from his friends. After that he wanted to relieve some stress so he skipped classes to play with Scott and Polly who were pranking the teachers. Messing with authoritative figures was certainly something he enjoyed next to arson. They somehow didn’t get caught and left the scene of the ~~crime~~ prank. Polly flew off somewhere saying to get ready for a party. Damien and Scott went off to do one of their giant beast related antics when they spotted an owlbear.

Later on, they went to the outdoors party because that’s just what most Spooky High students do on Friday nights, drinking alcohol and dancing the night away. Damien bumped into Amira again and started their usual rivalry with a dance off which they declared to be a tie at the end. On their way to get some drinks Vicky showed up and chattered on about something to Amira, he didn’t care to listen.

As they were drinking, Vicky suddenly shouted “LET’S DO A DRINKING MATCH!” out of nowhere which gathered a crowd of monsters that wanted to participate. Being competitive, of course Amira and Damien jumped in without a second thought. Damien was sure he was going to win when all that was left was Amira since he had the advantage of a literal furnace in his stomach but hearing the name of a certain shadow monster shouted out made him do a spit take, so he lost the drinking match.

His first gut reaction was to protest his loss but after that he was confused. Sure enough, Oz was actually there with the rest of the loser gang and Damien wasn’t just hearing things. He was sure Oz said that he was going home earlier before he disappeared so what was he doing here of all places? Oz looked the same as he did before, was he hallucinating the whole event and it never even happened? No, it definitely happened since he had to change clothes himself.

More importantly Oz being here sort of contradicts what the girls told him earlier about Oz not liking crowded places. Did they lie to him? Needing to get to the bottom of this mystery he went and confronted Amira who was with Vera counting money.

“Hey! You told me he didn’t like crowded places!” Damien spat out the question.

“What are you talking about?” Amira raised a brow.

Damien pointed to where Oz and the others were. “What’s he doing here!?”

Amira’s sight followed his finger. “Oh that. Vicky told them to come earlier.” She went back to counting money. “Guess they actually showed up.”

“WHY!?” Damien threw his hands up in the air.

“I donno. It’s not like he’s actually allergic to crowds or anything.” Amira said indifferently.

Vera sighs. “If you’re that curious just go and ask him yourself for fucks sake. Then maybe you’d stop shouting nonsense.”

“What are you so grumpy about?” Damien turned to Vera.

“Your idiocy for one.” Vera looked at the money she was counting. “And some idiots think they can skimp on a bet they made with me so I’ll have to squeeze more money from them.”

Figuring he won’t get his answers here he wondered off somewhere to think and ended up at sitting the snack table. As he ate some snacks and drank more alcohol, he wasn’t really sure what to do. Damien didn’t know if he should try and talk to Oz now or next week like he had planned so that they probably forgot what happened at the library. It’s not like they have to talk but the nagging feeling of unease of not doing so keeps bugging him.

As he was trying to get drunk enough to reach a decision on what to do, Brian approached the table. When the zombie saw Damien there, he stopped and stared for a moment before shrugging and took some snacks to eat and sat across him. Damien couldn’t really tell what that was about since Brian’s face always looks the same to him unless he was doing sports. Then he realized something.

“Where did your buddy go?” Damien said without thinking as he turned to Brian.

It took a few seconds for Brian to realize Damien was talking to him. “Why do you wanna know?”

“I don’t! I was just curious!” Damien downed the bottle he was holding.

“Just to make sure. Who were you asking about?” Brian seemed confused.

Damien gave him a skeptical look. “Oz, Shadow guy, Ye high, yellow clothes, no mouth.” He gestured to what he remembers is Oz’s height is.

Brian tapped his fist into an open palm with a look of realization. “Oh Oz.” He looked back at Damien “Why didn’t you just say so?”

“I did!” Damien snarled.

“No, you didn’t.” Brian deadpans.

Damien pinched the bridge of his nose. “Whatever.” He sighed. “So, where did he go?”

“You said you didn’t want to know.”

“Well, now I do.” Damien crossed his arms. “So, where the fuck did he go?”

“Who?”

“I JUST TOLD YOU!” Damien tossed his hands in the air.

“Ummm… Vicky?” Brian tilted his head.

“No, you dipshit! Oz! Where the fuck did Oz go!?”

“Ah, yes, Oz.” Brian shrugged with both his hands up. “I don’t know.”

“Then don’t act like you know!”

“I didn’t. You just assumed I knew.” Brian said bluntly.

It’s always like this. For some reason Brian always annoys Damien when he strikes conversation, Damien can’t tell if the zombie is just that dumb or is fucking with him. Brian finds it amusing how easily triggered Damien is so he likes to play dumb. Damien knows well enough that shouting and threats don’t work on Brian so he stopped questioning him and went back to drinking.

“Why not just text him?” Brian said.

Damien stopped drinking and turned to Brian. “Huh?”

“If you’re that curious just ask him. You have his number, right?”

“How did you know!?” Damien looked shocked.

“He told me.”

Hearing that, Damien’s mind went into a small panic. What if Oz told him about what happened at the library earlier today? Damien didn’t even know Brian that well and Oz told him that they had his number. What other things have Oz said about Damien to his friends?

Damien’s silence was a bit unnerving for Brian since usually he’d either try to ignore him or storm off after a certain boiling point. But now it looked like he was deep in thought. Brian only suggested texting Oz because it was the obvious thing to do. Not sure how him knowing that Damien has Oz’s number is anything to think about. Unless…

“Did he block you already?” Brian slightly gasps.

“What!? No! Of course not! Why would he do that? Did he say something!?”

“Ummm… no?” Brian was surprised by the panic in Damien’s voice. “If he didn’t block you then just text him already. He always answers texts.” He pulled out his phone. “Here, I’ll just ask where he is.”

“DON’T!” Damien slammed his hands on the table. “I-it’s not important. I don’t need to talk to him or anything.” He turned away.

Okay something is definitely wrong. Brian has no idea what happened but something must have happened with Damien and Oz and for some fucking reason Damien is being all weird about it. Brian couldn’t care less about Damien’s issues but if it involved Oz, he should do something so it doesn’t get out of hand.

Brian let out a big sigh. “Okay, what happened? Because frankly, you’re acting weird.”

“Nothing happened. Even if it did, it’s none of your fucking business.” Damien said still looking away.

“It is my business if it involves Oz. Look, you don’t even have to tell me what happened.”

“How the fuck is that supposed to work?” Damien whipped back with a confused look.

“I donno. Just get to the point and ask what you actually wanna know I guess.” Brian said dismissively.

“You suck at whatever this is.” Damien scoffed.

“Tell me something I don’t know.” Brian rolled his eyes. “Or I can just ask Oz.” He held his phone up.

“Fine! Just give me a sec.” Damien took a moment to think. “Sooo… you’re friends with Oz, right?”

“Seriously?” Brian raised a brow.

“Just work with me here!” Damien slammed a fist on the table.

“Alright. Fine. Yes, we’re friends. Best friends even. Can you get on with it?”

“Well… has… has he mentioned me at all today?”

“Nope.”

“He hasn’t?”

“Not a word.”

Damien went silent and looked relieved for some reason. So, whatever happened today is what’s bothering him… probably. Thinking on it, Brian remembered that something probably happened to Oz at the library and it involved a fire extinguisher. The dots seem to connect and make sense although Brian isn’t sure what exactly happened.

“It’s probably nothing.” Brian said.

“What?”

“What you’re worrying about is probably nothing.”

“How’d you figure?”

“Oz has been acting normally all day. If something was seriously troubling him, he’d be too busy thinking about that and wouldn’t even come here tonight. So, basically anything that happened today didn’t bother him enough to even worry about.” Brian explained. It sounded pretty cold now that he said it out loud but it’s pretty much what he thought.

Damien didn’t respond and eventually left without another word. Brian didn’t try to stop him since he already said his piece. Whatever worries Brian had about Damien associating with Oz dissolved after their conversation. He still had no idea what went on but Oz should be able to handle it if Damien’s the only one who’s flustered from whatever happened.

* * *

Damien had walked around looking for Oz now that he’s feeling more confident and probably tipsy to talk to them. But he couldn’t find him anywhere. Did he already leave? Should Damien just text him like Brian suggested? He still didn’t NEED to talk now if it wasn’t possible. Okay, so maybe Damien is still a bit nervous on what Oz actually thinks of him.

Not finding Oz anywhere, Damien thought he probably should call it a night. He’s a bit tired from all the wandering around so he headed towards the nearest benches to rest for a while before leaving. As he was just sitting there minding his own business, the monster he’s been both avoiding and looking for appeared out of nowhere. Oz had nonchalantly sat next to him as if nothing wrong was going on, so maybe Brian was right and he was worrying over nothing.

“So, uh, thought you went home?” Damien spoke up after a moment of silence.

 _“I did.”_ Oz didn’t turn from looking at the crowd.

“Well, I didn’t see you at the cafeteria.” Damien rubbed the back of his neck.

Oz turned to look at Damien and tilted. _“I’m pretty sure I told you I don’t need to eat.”_

“Yeah, but even Liam and Polly go there during lunchtime and they don’t eat.” Damien creased his brows. “Ummm… do you know Liam and Polly?”

_“I do. I’m pretty sure I know most of your friends.”_

“Alright, then name one that isn’t Vera, Liam, or Polly.”

 _“Scott and Miranda.”_ Oz mentioned 2.

“Are you actually my stalker or something?” Damien said teasingly with a smirk but it soon fell when Oz didn’t react at all and just stared at him. What now? Did he say something weird? Was Oz actually his stalker?

After a moment Oz responded. _“No, I’m not a stalker.”_ He giggled.

“What was that long pause for!?”

_“I was just recalling what the definition of stalker was.”_

“That took way too long. I was about to think you actually were a stalker creep.”

 _“Hmmm… no, I’m definitely not your stalker.”_ Oz said playfully.

“Are you sure about that?”

 _“Absolutely. Being your stalker would imply I’m obsessed and interested in you to the point I’d try know everything about you that I’d spy on everything you do, which I don’t. I know about you as much as you make things public like anybody else.”_ Oz explained.

“Yeah, okay, do you always think that seriously to answer a simple yes or no question?”

_“I think so? Maybe, I’m not sure.”_

“Anyway, you still know me. It’s kind of unfair.” Damien huffed.

_“How so?”_

“I didn’t even know you existed last week let alone know anything about you.”

_“Then what do you want to know?”_

Great, Damien didn’t think about that. He already knew some basic stuff that he got from Vera and Oz’s friends. If he had to ask something to Oz himself, he wasn’t even sure what he wanted to know. The one question Damien wanted to ask was one he’s too embarrassed to ask. Trying to think of anything to ask, Damien said the only thing that came to mind that sounds harmless.

“So, you like cats?” Damien asks. Okay that was a stupid question to ask.

 _“Yes, I obviously like cats.”_ Oz said in a slightly bitter tone. He turned away and folded his arms.

“Wait, are you still mad about that?” Oz stayed silent, not moving. “Oh, come on! I thought we were passed that!”

Oz still stayed silent. Well, now that he thinks about it, they sort of brushed it off and didn’t say anything about it when Oz found out Damien owned the books he was going to burn in the library. Is he seriously that upset about Damien laughing? He did laugh a lot. Should he apologize? It seemed too trivial for an apology but Oz was giving him the silent treatment again when things seemed to be going well.

Damien took a deep breath. “I’m sor-.” He stopped when he heard the sound of a familiar soft laughter in his mind and frowned. “You’re messing with me, aren’t you?”

 _“Maybe…”_ Oz said playfully and turned back. _“I was pretty upset though.”_

“Uuuuh… do I still need to apologize?”

_“If you need to ask then no, not really. Speaking of the library that reminds me.”_

Damien stiffened. “A-about what?”

 _“Show me your hands, I need to give you something.”_ Damien was confused but showed his hand to receive something. Oz placed his hands on top of Damien’s and he could feel something placed there. _“There, all your lighters and matches I took.”_ Oz removed his hands to reveal a stack of lighters and a match box on Damien’s hands.

“What the fuck!?” Damien’s eyes widen and looked at Oz. “How’d you do that!?”

Oz did jazz hand motions. _“Magic.”_ He whispered.

Damien stuffed all the lighters in his jacket. Things are going well and he didn’t even remember that Oz had his lighters, he already got a different stash. But now he wonders if he should bring up the books. If Damien doesn’t say anything now it’s probably going to bug him even more later on.

“Aren’t you going to ask?” Damien gingerly asked.

_“Ask what?”_

“About… why I was… studying in the library.”

_“No. I’m not going to ask about that.”_

“Why not?”

_“Because there’s nothing to ask.”_

“You don’t think it’s weird?”

 _“Damien… you do realize that you SHOULD be studying regularly, right?”_ Oz shook his head. _“Well, whether you do or not is up to you so I don’t really get why you’re asking me if studying is weird or not when I do it all the time.”_

Damien stared at Oz for a few seconds before bursting out in laughter. “Of course, you would say that. You’re such a nerd.” He really was worrying over nothing.

Oz rolled his eyes. _“Yeah, great, good to see you find that amusing.”_ He said sarcastically.

As Damien was laughing, Oz’s phone rang and he picked it up. Damien’s laughed died down as he looked at Oz curiously. He didn’t have a mouth so how is he taking a phone call? Can he telepathically speak through the phone? After a while Oz pocketed his phone and stood up.

_“Well, I’ll be going now.”_

“Who was that?”

 _“A very drunk friend.”_ Oz sighed. _“See you around.”_ He waved and started to walk away.

“See ya.” Damien waved back.

A few steps later Oz stopped and looked back at Damien. _“If you have trouble studying, I could help out. Just text me if you have any questions.”_ And with that said Oz sprinted away to who knows where, leaving Damien a bit stunned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's right people, after staring at Oz's outdoor picture for so long trying to analyze it, I've concluded that he tap dances XD  
> Might make another backstory chapter next to add on along with the weekend.


	16. Awkward Beginnings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More color crew backstory from when they met Oz. Continuation from chapter 8 and 9.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So much for the present, it's all about the past baby XD  
> Music on loop when writing this is Racing Into The Night (English Cover) by Will Stetson.

**A Few Years Back**

It was still the first week of school and Vicky was excited to see what the day has to offer. Her very passive friend Brian already got himself a friend after the first day of school and she couldn’t be happier. She was worried that he wouldn’t be able to make any new friends in a new school environment. Vicky herself has acquainted herself with many of her classmates but no one stood out.

After she parted ways with Brian and Oz in the library, Vicky hasn’t seen Oz anywhere. She wanted to get to know him better, as one would when a friend has a new friend. How is she supposed to help them be better friends if she can’t find Oz anywhere!? How does he live without a phone!? Maybe she should break into the principal’s office and find Oz’s files. No, that would be the backup plan. Vicky needs to find him first and question him without Brian around so he doesn’t stop her.

Vicky’s scheming thoughts came to a halt when she suddenly felt very tired. It wasn’t the kind of tired she felt after doing too much, it was the feeling of powered down due to the lack of electricity in her body. She forgot to charge up this morning. It’s been a while since she forgot to charge up and since she was acting as chipper as always, even her mother didn’t remind her to do it which is what usually happens when Vicky looked a bit down in the morning.

She rummaged around her backpack to see if she still had any spare car batteries but there were none. Vicky hadn’t restocked her supply either aside from forgetting to charge, it was the worst possible scenario. She should be fine until the end of the day but that’s only if she didn’t move around much. She disliked not being able to move more than she needed to but the threat of blacking out was more of an issue.

Vicky dragged her feet towards her next class as she wondered if there was any way she could find some electricity aside from going home. She could ask her friends to help out but she didn’t want to bother them. Amira was skipping school to go to a concert somewhere and Brian is… well… Brian. Of course, they would help her out if she just asked but she didn’t want the possibility of them saying no to her. The thing she hated most from being low on energy are the negative thoughts that came with it for some reason.

She managed to reach the class with no issue and was surprised to see a familiar shadowy figure already sitting in there. If she wasn’t low on energy, Vicky would have jumped on the opportunity to speak with him and ask Oz many questions but now she could only curse the timing. Still, maybe she could salvage this chance by just seeing what Oz is like without Brian around. As harmless as he seems you can never be too careful with monsters.

Vicky took a seat behind Oz and didn’t bother to greet him. Oz didn’t seem to realize Vicky was there or he did and chose to ignore her. Soon, class started and things went by quietly. The teacher was one of those types that didn’t explain much and just started writing stuff on the board. Normally this wouldn’t be an issue for Vicky but her current condition made it hard for her to take a lot of notes. Some of the students were chatting among themselves and the teacher just ignored them.

When the teacher erased what was on the board before Vicky could finish writing it down, she felt hopeless. There was no use in continuing when she’s already behind, anything she writes now won’t make any sense. What would she do if all of this was actually important to their final grade? Mother would be so disappointed if Vicky failed and even more so because it was because of carelessness. Why is everything going wrong? It hasn’t even been a week and she’s going to fail a class due to circumstances.

Vicky had fallen into despair slumped on her desk, no longer trying to take notes because it was useless. Things could only get worse today, that she was sure of. The bell rang and the students rushed out of class as if the room was set on fire but Vicky was still self-loathing, not moving.

 _“Ummm… Vicky? Class is over.”_ The voice in Vicky’s mind made her look up to see that Oz was right in front of her.

Vicky forced a smile on her face. “Hey, Oz… I didn’t see you there.” Her voice sounded more tired that she expected.

 _“Do you need something? You sound really tired.”_ Oz sounds concerned.

“I’m alright.” Vicky waved her hand dismissively. “You go on ahead. I just need to finish writing some notes.” It was a lie but she would rather be alone right now.

Oz didn’t move and just stood there in front of Vicky’s desk as she pretend to write her notes until he walks away. With each second of silence that passed by, Vicky started to feel irritated that Oz isn’t leaving. After a moment of silence Oz finally left and Vicky let out a sigh of relief. She was now alone in an empty classroom and free to go back thinking of what a huge mistake she made. For some reason a lot of her worries seemed silly now and Vicky didn’t feel like she needed to think about it that much anymore so she packed her stuff and started to leave the classroom.

Right as she walked out the door, Vicky saw Oz was just standing next to it. “Oh, uh, I thought you left for lunch already.” She was a bit startled but tried not to show it.

 _“I don’t eat food.”_ Oz said plainly.

“Then… what are you doing now?”

_“Nothing.”_

Okay… how on earth did Brian talk to Oz is now a big mystery with how little he speaks and Brian himself is socially awkward. Vicky would love to ask Oz many more questions but she was literally too low on energy to think about it so she just started to slowly walk towards her locker. Oz was following behind for some reason. When Vicky got to her locker, she’s displeased to see she didn’t have any useable car batteries in there.

_“Are you looking for something?”_

“Car batteries.” Vicky said grumpily with a frown.

She no longer had enough composure to appear pleasant and with everything going on, her mood had soured. The cheerful façade she kept up couldn’t last long like this. It would be best to just rest at the nurse’s office until school ends and go home since it’s not like she can concentrate on lessons. Oh, right Oz was here. Maybe she can intimidate him to keep silent, not that he talks a lot to begin with. Vicky slammed her locker shut and was about to address Oz but he was already gone.

Before heading to the nurse’s office, Vicky drank the energy drink and energy bar she always brought with her, even though it wouldn’t really help her much at least she wouldn’t go hungry from skipping lunch. If only she made sure to stock up her batteries instead of these stupid consumables. As she was on her way to the nurse’s office Vicky stopped in the hallway when she saw Oz turn a corner. Why is he everywhere now when she’s not even looking for him?

Curiosity got the better of her and Vicky followed Oz. Despite how slow she was moving, Oz was always within the edge of her sight before turning a corner or passing through a door. At the end of her little tailing endeavor, Vicky saw Oz head into the outdoor bathrooms which she found quite odd. If he didn’t eat food, why would he need to go into the bathrooms? She did hear that it was a pretty common hangout spot but why go to the bathrooms during lunch?

Vicky wasn’t sure if she wanted go in there or not. The whole thing was weird and if it led to nothing, she would feel like a huge idiot for following someone just going to the toilet. But she had gotten this far, might as well see where this lead. Taking a deep breath, she opened the bathroom door to see Oz staring at the mirrors, not doing anything in particular.

Oz turned to look at Vicky. _“I found a car battery.”_ He pointed to a car battery on the sink counter next to him.

Vicky just stared at him for a few seconds trying to process what’s happening. “I-is that for me?” She pointed at the battery.

Oz gave a nod and with that Vicky immediately went to charge herself up. Her body convulsed as the electricity went into her body and the rush made her laugh maniacally throughout the process. When the battery was all out of charge, Vicky calmed down and turned to Oz who was a few feet away.

“Gosh, I really needed that!” Vicky beamed. “Thanks a lot!” She gave a thumbs up.

 _“Y-you’re welcome.”_ Oz walked closer to Vicky and handed her a notebook. _“You can borrow this if you want.”_

Vicky took the notebook quizzically and opened it. The pages were filled with notes that were written from the class that they just had together. Vicky’s eyes light up seeing that she wasn’t going to miss anything but then she went back to being confused on why Oz is lending his notebook. She was pretty sure Oz didn’t know that they were there together until the class ended and Vicky had pretended to write notes pretty convincingly, she thought.

“Why?” Vicky raised a brow to Oz.

 _“If you don’t need it, can I have it back?”_ Oz stretched his hand out to take the notebook.

“NO!” Vicky clutched the notebook to her chest. “I’ll borrow it!” She said defensively.

 _“Okay then.”_ Oz walked past Vicky heading out of the bathrooms. _“Just remember to give it back next week.”_ He said before exiting.

Having charged up and feeling physically refreshed Vicky headed to the cafeteria still wondering what just happened. Oz gave her a car battery and let her borrow his notes which was the two things she really needed. The day will be back to being a normal day instead of a terrible day but she can’t comprehend why he would help her out. They’ve only met once, was he just a really nice guy? Did he know she was following him or did he intentionally lure her there? Maybe he could really read minds? The thought brought a shiver down her spine. If he could really read minds then Vicky was doomed. She’s definitely asking that the next time they meet.

Instead of getting lunch, Vicky bought some snacks from the vending machine and sat at the table with Brian to copy Oz’s notes. Vicky told Brian that she was late because the teacher asked her to help out a bit after class and it took longer than she thought, he didn’t really ask. Brian didn’t question it and went back to eating.

* * *

It was the next day and Vicky had made sure to restock all her portable chargers in case of another emergency. Today she was determined to catch Oz and question him although that would be easier said than done because she’s not going to skip class just to find him. Luckily for her one of the teachers couldn’t show up, something about dying from a prank but that didn’t matter because now she had a free period to search for Oz.

Vicky peeked though all the classrooms first but Oz wasn’t in any of them and Brian was sleeping through his class, typical. She ran around the school to look for Oz and started with the bathrooms but he wasn’t there either. Thinking of where else he might be, Vicky headed up to the library. Oz seemed to like reading considering he was actually reading the last time they were there. Sure enough, Vicky found Oz at the library and he was using one of the PCs.

“AHA! I FOUND YOU!” Vicky pointed and yelled out loud which made everyone shush her again. “Sorry!”

She briskly walked towards Oz and took a seat right next to him. Oz was wearing a headset so he probably didn’t hear Vicky shouting earlier. She spun his chair to face her and the act seemed to startle him that his eyes got very round like saucers. When Oz saw Vicky his eyes went back to dots like normal and he took his headset off.

 _“H-hello Vicky.”_ Oz stuttered out a greeting.

“Hi Oz!” Vicky gave a wide smile. “Just the monster I wanted to see.”

Oz tilted his head. _“You were looking for me?”_

“Yep!” Vicky’s cheerful look turned serious as she looked Oz dead in the eyes. “Now tell me. Can you read minds?”

Oz took a moment before answering. _“Ummm… if by read minds you mean hear people’s thoughts at will, anytime I want, then no, I can’t read minds.”_

Vicky squinted her eyes trying to read Oz’s expression. “Really? You can’t tell what I’m thinking right now?” She thought about stabbing Oz just in case he tries to lie and see his expression change.

Oz continued to blankly stare at her showing no signs of movement. _“No… I don’t know what you’re thinking.”_

“Then how did you know I needed those notes for class?”

There was a long pause of silence, this time took longer than the ones before. Vicky waited patiently for Oz to answer her but the answer never came. Oz was slowly melting like an ice cream left under the summer sun and it left Vicky speechless as she watched in shock, then the puddle that was probably Oz disappeared into nothing. Uh, what just happened? Did she accidentally kill Oz? No, that can’t be right. Oz looked like a shadow monster so maybe he just escaped. Still, that whole melting thing took a while. Whatever, she’s sure he’ll show up again. It didn’t seem like Oz could actually read minds whenever he wanted anyway so her biggest fear is taken care of.

* * *

Next week during lunch, Brian looked lifeless or at least more than usual. Normally if Brian was extra tired, he’d quickly finish his lunch and fall asleep on the table but today he was on the table and picking at his food, taking only small bites which is unusual for him.

“Dude, you okay?” Amira asked. Brian just gave a grunt. “Why the long face? You’re usually livelier during lunch.”

“Just thinking.” Brian said monotone.

“About what?” Amira raised a brow.

“Yeah, you can tell us anything!” Vicky beamed.

Brian glanced at the girls who’re waiting for him to answer. “Oz didn’t show up at class today.”

“That’s it?” Amira scoffed. “Everyone skips classes all the time. I’m sure it’s nothing. Right Vick?” She turned to Vicky whose face was shocked, her mouth agape. “Vick?”

Vicky snapped out of it and wore her usual cheerful look. “Y-yeah, I’m sure it’s nothing! Maybe he just didn’t feel like going today.” Surely it has nothing to do with what happened last week, she thought.

“But he actually tries to go to classes like Vicky.” Brian pointed his fork at Vicky.

“Hmmm…” Amira stared at Vicky. “Yeah, I could see how that would be weird.” She turned back to Brian. “Still, it’s just one class. It’s not a big deal.”

“Well…” Brian picked at his food again. “Oz didn’t look so well last week. I thought he was all better since we saw him here the next day and he seemed fine but now I’m not so sure.”

“Ummm… did you even see him again after that day in the library? You haven’t really mentioned him again and he doesn’t show up during lunch.” Vicky scanned around the area.

“Just a few times.” Brian mumbled.

“And did he look sick during those times?”

“No.”

“T-then maybe he just doesn’t like that class in particular. We’ll see him tomorrow so don’t worry about it!” Vicky patted Brian’s shoulder.

“Maybe.” Brian didn’t sound convinced.

The next day during Trap Manufacture Oz didn’t show up which made both Brian and Vicky worry for different reasons, Amira thought nothing of it and assumed the explosion last time spooked him. Brian was worried that Oz was sick with something and Vicky was worried that she might have actually killed a friend of a friend.

In a moment of panic Vicky suggested to ask the teachers if Oz was sick just to make sure. It sounded like a stupid idea after she said it with how easily students skip class and entire days of school without repercussions. Brian thought it was worth a shot and went straight to Principal Giant Spider’s office after school ended, Vicky joined him to see how it turns out. They were sitting in the principal’s office in front of their desk.

“Ah yes, Oz. Such a diligent student. They informed us that they’ll be missing school for an undetermined amount of time due to a medical condition.” Principal Giant Spider informed them.

“Seriously!?” Vicky gasped. She’s relieved to know Oz isn’t dead but it’s shocking that he actually bothered to inform the school for skipping.

“Yes, I could hardly believe we got such an honorable student inform us for a sick leave and asking for the study materials of classes they’ll missed.” A tear rolled down one of PGS’s many eyes which he wiped with one of his hairy legs.

“Did he say what was wrong?” Brian asked.

“No, they didn’t specify what was wrong but they did say it wouldn’t take more than a week. Are you two friends of theirs?”

“Yes.” Brian answered.

“Are you two going to visit them now that you know they’re sick?”

“Uuuh… we don’t know where he lives.” Vicky replies slightly confused on why he was asking them that.

PGS wrote something on a piece of paper and put it in a folder filled with papers then handed the folder over to them which Vicky took. “That’s their address and study materials. Please give it to them.”

Brian and Vicky looked at each other quizzically for a moment due to how easily PGS gave away student information just to make them deliver the material. They hope he wouldn’t be giving out their addresses so easily to other students but considering the unusually normal circumstance they’ve put themselves into, it was unlikely that anyone else would straight up ask the principal for information.

“Sure… By the way sir, how did Oz tell you he was sick?” Vicky asked still holding the folder.

“Why, by a written letter sent with a bat messenger of course. It was very delicious.” PGS looked delighted remembering the taste of the bat.

Already having their answers, Brian and Vicky left PGS’s office with the folder he gave them. Vicky wasn’t sure if she could face Oz with Brian now since she might be the reason he’s taking a sick leave. She shoved the folder to Brian and ran off saying she needed to go home early today so he should be the one to give Oz the folder. He shrugged assuming Vicky just didn’t want to go on an errand that didn’t give her extra credit.

Curious and worried about how Oz was doing, Brian headed towards the address PGS gave them. A few bus-stops later and an hour of walking he ended up in a quiet suburban area. The house Brian was looking for turned out to be a small abandoned looking house, complete with dark stormy clouds in the sky somehow. All the windows were tightly boarded up and it didn’t feel like anyone was living there.

Brian walked up to the door and tried ringing the bell but the thing seems to be broken so he just knocked on the door. After a few knocks there was no sound coming from inside and he wondered if this was even the right house. Brian tried just opening the door but it was actually locked and the handle looks new compared to the rest of the house.

 _“H-hello?”_ A small familiar voice echoed in Brian’s mind.

“Oz, it’s me Brian.”

The sound of many locks being undone could be heard behind the door before it slowly opened just a bit. Brian couldn’t see anything beyond the cracks until some white splotches appeared floating in the darkness, it was an eyebrow and one of Oz’s eyes. There must be no light in there if Brian can’t even distinguish Oz’s face from the background.

 _“W-what are you doing here?”_ Oz said meekly.

“I heard you were sick and uh… Principal Giant Spider told me to give this to you.” Brian stretched out his hand holding the folder to the door crack. The folder seemed to be sucked into the house and was no longer visible.

After a moment of silence Oz spoke again. _“Thank you. Sorry for troubling you with this.”_

“It’s fine. I wanted to check up on you anyway.” Brian rubbed the back of his neck. “Ummm… are you still sick? I can leave now if you’re not feeling well.”

_“Well… the thing is… I’m not really sick. Sorry.”_

“Oh, well, that’s good.” Brian scratched his cheek. “So, uh, when will you be going back to school?”

_“Thursday.”_

“Okay.”

An awkward silence fell. Brian wasn’t sure what to do now. Oz seems to be fine, not that he could actually see him but he sounds fine. Should Brian just leave now that he’s done delivering the papers? He doesn’t really have anything else to do although it would be nice if they could talk for a bit but Oz hasn’t even fully opened the door so maybe he didn’t want to be disturbed. Just as Brian was about to make his leave, Oz spoke up.

_“Ummm… s-since you’re already here, would you like to come inside? T-the place isn’t really fit to receive guests, though.”_

“Sure, I don’t mind.”

Brian’s own place was a mess and he figured that Oz’s place can’t be that bad in comparison. As Oz fully opened the door, Brian was frozen stiff to see nothing. Not that there wasn’t anything in the house, it was just so dark that even Oz’s bright yellow clothes can barely be seen using the moonlight that shone though the door. Brian wasn’t afraid of the dark as long as he can still see a bit but complete darkness terrified him.

“Uh, c-can you turn on the lights?”

_“There’s no electricity.”_

“T-then what about candles or a flashlight?”

_“S-sorry, I don’t have those. But I can get some if you want.”_

“D-don’t trouble yourself with that. I-if you don’t have any, it can’t be helped.”

He says that but Brian wasn’t moving and just stood there. Should he just say he can’t go in there? But he already said he didn’t mind, it would be weird to back out now. Oz’s eyes seemed to tilt in the darkness then disappeared from view. Soon, Oz walked out of the house, appearing clearly in front of Brian and closed the door, locking it before facing him.

 _“Would you care to go for a stroll? I haven’t been out in a while.”_ Oz gestured to the pavement.

Brian looked back at the road snapping out of his thoughts. “Um, sure. That sounds nice.”

The two took a stroll through the quiet neighborhood with Oz leading the way. Brian felt relieved that he didn’t have to go into that pitch black house. Now that he thought about it, it’s pretty weird to not have any electricity in the house. With how dark it was, Oz can probably see clearly in the dark if he didn’t need any light. They continued to walk in silence until Oz spoke up.

_“Have you been around this area before?”_

“No, this is the first time I’ve been here.” Brian closed his eyes to hear his surroundings before opening them up again. “It’s oddly quiet for this early in the night compared to the rest of Monstropolis.”

_“I like how quiet it is.”_

“What’s with the storm cloud?” Brian looked around. “The other houses don’t have one.”

 _“Oh, that’s just some sort of curse a ghost left behind. It doesn’t really bother me so I just leave it there. I think it looks good with the house aesthetic.”_ Oz said nonchalantly.

“Creepy and abandoned?” Brian mentally slapped himself for saying that. Creepy is not a good word to use when describing someone’s house.

 _“Yep!”_ Oz sounded chipper.

It was the most cheerful Oz has sounded ever since they met that Brian was slightly taken aback. So creepy was a good way to describe it? At least he seems to like it. They went back to walking in silence since Brian didn’t respond and he wonders where they were even headed. The more they walked it seems like they were out of the suburban area and ended up in a more populated part of town.

“Where are we going? I thought we were just strolling around the neighborhood.”

_“We’re going to a convenience store.”_

“Why?”

_“Because it’s convenient.”_

Brian chuckled. “No, I mean, do you need to buy something?”

_“Not really.”_

“Then why are we going there?”

 _“I’ve never had a guest before and they should have everything necessary there.”_ Oz turned to Brian. _“Do you dislike convenience stores?”_

The way Oz said those things sounded weird and confusing. Brian can’t think of how anything he said connected to why they were going to a convenience store or why anyone would dislike one but he wasn’t opposed to the idea.

“No, I don’t mind going there.” Brian said slightly confused.

 _“Great, we’re almost there!”_ Oz said cheerfully.

Sure enough, they soon reached a pretty big convenience store that even has a section for tables to eat at. When they entered, Oz glanced around the store in what seems like fascination. Brian surveyed the area and it just looks like a normal convenience store.

“So, what are you looking for?” Brian turned to Oz.

 _“Oh, right.”_ Oz looked down at his watch. _“Hmmm… seems like it’s almost time.”_

“Uuuh… what?”

 _“N-nothing.”_ Oz looked back up to Brian. _“Do you need to buy anything?”_

Brian thought for a second. “No. I don’t think so.” He shook his head. “Just go ahead and get whatever it is you’re looking for, don’t mind me.”

With that, Oz walked deeper into the store and Brian followed him. They seem to have wandered around the whole store with Oz just glancing at the items for a few seconds before moving along to the next one. Oz didn’t even touch anything he looked at. They finally stopped moving near the refrigerated drinks close to the food register. Brian wondered why Oz was staring so intently at the drinks.

Oz looked at his watch again and turned to Brian. _“Aren’t you hungry?”_

The sudden question puzzled Brian but now that he thinks about it. “Huh, I guess I am.”

 _“Well, you can just pick what you want to eat for dinner. They seem to have a huge selection.”_ Oz gestured to the various food items. _“I’ll meet you back at the register once your done choosing something.”_ He dashed off somewhere after saying that.

That was… weird. Wait, did he say dinner? Brian pulled his phone out to check the time and it was past the time he usually ate dinner. He hasn’t eaten anything since lunch so he was starting to feel hungry. Since Oz suggested it, Brian picked out some food and drinks to eat for dinner, he ended up taking a tray full of food. When Brian headed to the register, Oz was waiting near there holding a box of something.

They combined their items for the cashier to count the total amount when Brian just remembered that he didn’t actually have much money on him. He didn’t plan on going anywhere so he only had his bus fare with some extra change just in case he wanted a snack from the vending machine. When Brian checked his wallet, it certainly had less than he needed but before he could retract some of the purchases, Oz paid the cashier without saying a word and they handed him the receipt.

Finished paying for their items (mostly Brian’s food) they sat at one of the tables in the eating section of the store.

“Thanks for paying man. I didn’t actually have enough money on me but I’ll pay you back later.”

 _“Why would you need to pay me back?”_ Oz tilted his head.

“Uh, because you paid for my food.”

Oz looked at the food on the table and back to Brian. _“Isn't that what a host should do? So, you don’t have to pay me back.”_

“Okay, back up.” Brian made a pushing motion. “I don’t get what you’re saying. What is this stuff about host, guests, and going to the convenience store just to buy a box of… whatever that is?” He pointed at the plastic bag Oz was holding.

Oz took a moment to ponder the question. _“Well, you visited my house so that makes you a guest and I’m a host. It’s customary to invite guests into one’s house and offer them a beverage however like I’ve stated before, my place isn’t fitted to receive guests, in more ways than one. As an alternative, I opted to go someplace that has beverages and other items but then it took some time to get here that it was almost time most beings that consume food eat dinner. If a guest arrives during mealtime, the appropriate course of action is to treat them to a meal, granted I wasn’t sure what one should offer to a guest. With the wide variety of food items here I couldn’t choose what would be appropriate so I let you choose on your own and paid for it.”_

While he was surprised to hear Oz talk so much, Brian couldn’t help but facepalm after hearing Oz’s explanation. “So, basically, we came all this way from your house, just so you could treat me to dinner because I’m a guest?”

_“Basically, yes.”_

Brian sighed. “Why a convenience store, though?”

 _“There were… some other objectives that made this location the most convenient place to go to.”_ Oz held up the plastic bag he was holding. _“It’s also easier to find a ride in this area.”_

That first part sounded odd but so has this whole night been odd. “What is that anyway?”

_“Candles.”_

There was a long pause as Brian tried to register everything that Oz said once again. Why on earth did he come all this way to buy candles? Actually no, that’s not the weirdest thing here. What kind of extreme etiquette has Oz been practicing to go this weirdly roundabout way to cater to someone just visiting his house that’s not even in his house?

“Oz, we’re not at your house.” Brian said bluntly.

 _“Yes, I’m well aware of that. We are at the convenient convenience store.”_ Oz sounded amused for some reason.

“You… seem to like this place.”

_“It’s more literal than I expected.”_

Again, odd but whatever. “Anyway, I need you to listen to me.” Brain placed his hands on Oz’s shoulders and looked him in the eyes. “I appreciate this but you don’t have to do this sort of thing for uninvited guests.”

 _“I don’t?”_ Oz sounded confused.

“Yes, you don’t. It’s a different story if you invite them but I just showed up at your place unannounced. I didn’t even step inside so I don’t think I would count as a guest. Do you understand?”

When Oz gave a nod, Brian let go of Oz’s shoulders and started to eat. It would be quite troublesome if some sales person knocked on Oz’s door and be taken on an odd quest to the convenience store just because he didn’t have drinks to offer. Actually, it would be more worrisome if he bought anything people sold him. He’s not that gullible, right? Well, his house looks pretty abandoned even by monster standards so that probably won’t happen.

_“Ummm… does that mean you’re still going to pay me back?”_

“Yes. Do you have a problem with that?”

_“Kind of, yes.”_

“Why?”

_“Well, I know what I said before but actually the whole guest thing was only a partial part of my reasons for treating you to dinner here specifically.”_

“Uh, okay. How much did you tell me?”

_“Approximately 20% of my reasons.”_

“… Wait. That whole guest monologue was only 20%!?”

_“Yes. More or less.”_

That was already a lot for Brian to process and it was only 20%, he can’t imagine what the rest of the 80% would be, just thinking about it is giving him a headache.

“You know what? Fine, I won’t pay you back.” Brian said exasperated.

 _“Really?!”_ Oz sounds happy.

“Under one condition.”

_“What is it?”_

“Tell me in 10 words or less why we couldn’t just take the bus halfway here?”

There were more things Brian would like an explanation for but that was the only one he could think of to ask now. It was a considerably long walk, not that he disliked it but they could have cut their time short if they just rode the bus. Oz took his time to think of a short answer to this question, seeming to count the words on his fingers. Brian wondered what possible wordy complex explanation is he thinking about that he couldn’t just shorten it.

 _“Alright. I have an answer.”_ Oz sounded proud to have thought of a short enough answer.

“Then let’s hear it.”

 _“I like spending time with you Brian.”_ Oz smiled with his eyes.

And then Godzilla smashed his way into the store, just kidding. Brian’s brain short circuited from the unexpected answer. The rest of the night was a blur but he ended up home safely somehow.

* * *

The next day Vicky asked Brian on how Oz was doing. Brian said Oz was fine and that he wasn’t actually sick or so he said. The news made Vicky relieved, now she knows nothing is wrong with Oz but that would mean he did escape her interrogation. Brian said Oz should be back to school tomorrow which is the day they had class together so it doesn’t sound like Oz is specifically avoiding her and that just makes it all the more confusing.

Brian seemed to be more chipper than usual which just means less sleepy. When Amira asked what Oz’s house was like, he just said it looked like an abandoned creepy house and he couldn’t see anything inside. The vaguely odd description made Amira curious and wanted to see it for herself and to be honest, Vicky was curious too. Despite Brian’s protest the two girls insisted that they visit Oz’s house after school.

They went there using Amira’s bright red convertible sports car so the ride was fairly fast. When they arrived in front of Oz’s house the girls looked at the house in astonishment due to the dark storm cloud Brian forgot to mention for dramatic effect. They walked up to the door and Amira started to loudly bang on it.

“OZ OPEN UP! IT’S YOUR BEST FRIENDS AMIRA, VICKY AND BRIAN!” Amira shouted still banging on the door.

“Why are you screaming? What if someone else lives here and I just didn’t see them!?” Brian stopped Amira’s knocking.

“It’s fine. We’ll just say sorry for being loud.” Amira said lightly.

Vicky tried to look through the windows. “Wow, I really can’t see anything! These are completely boarded up.”

The sound of clicking could be heard from the door and it fully opened this time. _“What are you all doing here?”_

“We came to visit you of course and to see… what the hell?” Amira was surprised to barely see anything beyond the opened door. “Dude, don’t you have any lights?”

_“No. I don’t have any electricity.”_

“How can you live without electricity!?” Vicky gasped.

Oz looked at Brian. _“You didn’t tell them?”_

“Uh, I… kind of forgot to mention that.” Brian turned away.

_“Then I should also mention that my house isn’t really in any state to accept guests. I do have candles, though.”_

“Uuuuh… what did you and Brian do yesterday?” Amira raised a brow.

_“We took a stroll to a convenient convenience store a few miles from here.”_

Amira and Vicky turned to look at Brian. “Don’t ask. I don’t know.” Brian said curtly.

Vicky turned to Oz. “So, ummm… is there anything to do inside your house?”

_“Light candles or anything else you can think of to do in the darkness I guess.”_

“What do you do in there?” Amira asks.

_“Think and sometimes read.”_

“If you’ll excuse us.” Amira pulled Brian and Vicky into a huddle a few feet away from the porch. “Okay guys, this Oz fellow is weirder than I thought.”

“Amira! Don’t be rude! He’s Brian’s new friend.” Vicky chided.

“He’s weirder than you Vick and that’s saying a lot.” Amira retorted.

“Hey!” Vicky turned to Brian. “Why aren’t you saying anything?”

“Well, he is weird. Can’t deny that.” Brian said.

Amira turned to Brian. “Oh, so even you think he’s weird?”

“Those candles were the only things he bought at the convenience store.” Brian stated.

“Oookay then, what should we do now?” Amira asked.

“I donno. You two dragged me here. I told you there was nothing interesting to do.” Brian said.

“I didn’t think you were serious! I thought you were hiding something rad behind our backs.”

“I’m not you.” Brian deadpans.

“Then why were you so chipper!? He said you walked miles just to go to a convenience store!”

“We did. It was relaxing.”

“I forgot how boring you can be sometimes.” Amira huffed.

“Why, thank you.” Brian said sarcastically.

“Ummm… guys. Back on topic, what now? I already told my mom I’m going to be home late so we should at least do something.” Vicky said.

Amira turned to Vicky. “Right, I guess we could go to the mall and find something to do there.”

“That sounds like a plan but what do we say to Oz?” Vicky peeked at Oz.

“How should I know? Just make something up.” Amira said.

“You’re the one that told him we’re here to visit him and shouted at the top of your lungs for no reason.” Brian said bluntly.

Amira turned to Brian. “You’re still on about that? It was ages ago.”

“It literally just happened a few minutes ago.”

“Well, what do you want me to say? Sorry?”

“Yes, that would be very appreciated.”

“You can’t be serious.”

“Deadly.”

 _“Y-you know, you can just leave if you want. I don’t mind.”_ Oz’s voice said meekly.

The 3 of them turned around to look at Oz that was still inside the dark house, he’s less visible without Amira’s glowing hair.

“You can hear us all the way over there!?” Vicky looked shocked.

_“It’s not that far and you weren’t exactly whispering. I also have good hearing.”_

“Oh, well, that’s awkward.” Amira scratched her fiery hair.

“Sorry.” Brian covered his face with his hands.

_“It’s fine, really. This isn’t a good place for gatherings.”_

“That’s not really-” Vicky was cut off before she could finish.

 _“I’ll be going back inside now. Have a good night.”_ Oz closed the door and many clicking sounds could be heard.

“Uuuh… I guess we can go now?” Amira shrugged awkwardly.

“I’m going home.” Brian started to walk away.

Amira grabbed Brian’s arm “Oh no you’re not!”

“WHY THE FUCK NOT!?” Brian snapped back shoving off Amira’s grip. “You two never listen to me and now I’m sick of it! Just leave me alone!”

Amira and Vicky were taken aback by Brian’s outburst that they couldn’t stop him from leaving. The two were left dumbfounded for a moment but then Amira let out a frustrated yell and stomped towards the house and knocked on the door, less aggressively this time. Vicky was still to stunned to move.

“Hey! I know you’re in there!” Amira yelled at the door.

 _“Obviously.”_ Oz said as he unlocked the door to open it. _“Would you like a candle?”_

The question caught Amira off guard. “Uuuh… what? No, why the hell would I need candles?” She pointed to her hair.

_“Then what reason do you have to knock on my door again?”_

Amira took a deep breath. “Okay, look, I’m sorry for calling you weird and… for yelling too much I guess.”

 _“Oh, ummm… that’s alright.”_ Oz tilted his head. _“Is that all?”_

“So, you’re not mad?”

_“I’m positive I said it was fine.”_

“Errr… so we’re cool?”

 _“No, you’re hot.”_ Oz pointed to Amira’s hair.

Amira burst out laughing. “Man, you’re such a dork!” After her laughing fit, Amira tried to call Brian but he wouldn’t pick up. “Ugh, hey Oz, let me borrow your phone.”

_“I don’t have a phone.”_

Amira’s jaw dropped but after a few seconds she got an idea and a sly smile appeared on her face. “Say, why don’t you come with us? You’re not doing anything now, right?” She pointed her thumb toward her car.

 _“Y-you don’t have to do that. It’s fine, really.”_ Oz shook his hands.

Amira grabbed Oz’s wrist and pulled him out of the house. “C’mon, I’m the one inviting you so just take it.” She smiled and tightened her grip hoping to get the message across that he shouldn’t refuse.

Oz looked around. _“Where’s Brian?”_

“You just realized that now? Didn’t you hear what happened earlier?” Vicky said.

Oz shook his head. _“The house is soundproof. I can’t hear much of the outside unless I’m near the door.”_

“Oh, well, you see Brian went on ahead of us.” Amira gave a wide smile. “But he forgot we came he by car and just walked on.”

 _“He did?”_ Oz tilted.

“Y-yeah! We should catch up to him so he doesn’t walk too far!” Vicky said.

 _“O-okay, but can I have a minute to get ready and lock my door?”_ Oz shook his arm that’s being held.

“Oh, right.” Amira released her grip on Oz’s wrist. “But make it quick.”

* * *

Brian was walking towards the bus stop feeling angry, confused and sad. He can’t believe what just happened and he isn’t sure if he even regrets snapping at Amira and Vicky. It felt like all the pent-up irritation he feels from their antics finally burst out at that moment. Oz didn’t sound mad but maybe he was just too polite to show it, after all he did shut the door on them. Brian would like to just shut himself up in his room and never come out.

He had forgotten how far Oz’s house was from, well, anything. The long walk made Brian feel more irritated along with the constant vibrations of his phone from Amira and Vicky trying to call him. After some time, the buzzing stopped and he hoped that they weren’t planning on doing anything crazy like force him into Amira’s car and drive to who knows where… Brian glanced back just in case but no cars were there.

It feels like Brian was halfway to the bus stop but then he could hear the sound of a speeding car. He didn’t even have to turn around to know whose car it was. Brian started to sprint even if it might be futile. If he does get caught, he swears he’s going to wreck that stupid car because he cannot deal with them right now. The car’s sound didn’t slow down, if anything it sounds like it just got faster as soon as Brian started to run. Do they plan on stopping him by running him over!? It doesn’t sound too crazy considering who he’s running from.

The car seems to be so close it’s practically behind him. Brian saw a flash of red at the edge of his vision and wondered if they actually plan to leave him alone but as soon as that thought crossed his mind, he felt his body float in the air and before he knew it, he was lying down on the backseat, staring at the blurry moving sky and his legs were slightly dangling from the car door. Brian had no idea what just happened.

“Wow! I can’t believe that worked!” Amira’s shout could be heard.

Vicky’s face appeared and her hair was wildly fluttering. “Are you guys alright?” She looked worried.

“What the-.“ Brian tried to get up but couldn’t.

Something was pinning him down the seat and it got tighter when he tried to get up again. When Brian looked down to his waist, he could see something black wrapped around him. Was it some sort of new magical seatbelt trap?

Brian looked up to Vicky who was still hovering above him. “What the hell?” He grunted.

“Oh, looks like you’re fine! Why don’t you sit up? Your legs might catch on to something.” Vicky smiled.

Brian furrowed his brows. “I can’t. Just let me go already.”

“Eh?” Vicky looked surprised. “Oz, you can let go now.”

“Wait, what?” Brian raised a brow.

 _“Nooooo…”_ A small whine echoed in their minds. _“C-can’t I just stay like this?”_

“Um, well… isn’t that uncomfortable?” Vicky looks wary.

_“Not really.”_

Brian glanced around but all he could see was Amira and Vicky in the front seats. “Oz? Where are you?”

“He’s… under you.” Vicky points down.

“What!?”

Brian struggled to get up again but the black thing holding him down tightened again. When he reached down trying to unbuckle whatever it was, it felt like an arm. Then Brian realized that the thing pinning him down was none other than Oz himself, which would mean Brian is crushing him under his weight.

“Oz, let go! I can’t get up like this.” Brian tugged at the arms on his waist.

 _“D-do I have to?”_ Oz said feebly.

“Yes! I mean, no, I mean.” Brian was getting flustered and despite his struggles, Oz didn’t budge. “Why not!?”

 _“I-it’s safer this way.”_ Oz stuttered.

It was then Brian realized that they were in a car driven by Amira. He’s gotten used to her reckless driving that he can’t even feel it anymore. With Oz holding him down he could barely feel the sharp turns they were taking and Vicky was just as used to it. Brian stopped struggling and went limp, not knowing what else to do or what’s even going on.

“Vick, fold my legs would you.” Brian said accepting fate.

“Sure thing!” Vicky reached out to tuck Brian’s legs into the car.

Brian was left laying awkwardly in the backseat of the car on top of Oz apparently which he couldn’t see. It felt weirdly normal, he couldn’t feel much under him. There was no movement or breathing, it didn’t feel like someone was behind him. Amira had turned on some music blasting the volume up like she usually does. Having calmed down, Brian still had no idea what was going on or why Oz was here.

When the car finally stopped Amira and Vicky got out but Brian didn’t even attempt to move and Oz was still firmly holding on to his waist. Seeing as there was no movement from the backseat, Amira opened the door and Brian’s legs tumbled out.

“Aww aren’t you two just adorable.” Amira teased. “Let’s get going!” She grabbed Brian’s arm and tried to pull him up, which was usually easy but now he’s stuck half-way through when she pulled. “What the hell? Get out of there already!” She pulled harder.

“I can’t.” Brian deadpans.

“Why not!?” Amira glared at him.

“You tell me.” Brian pointed at his waist which was tightly wrapped with Oz’s arms.

“Seriously!?” Amira released Brian and tried to pry Oz’s arms open to no avail. “HOW IS HE SO STRONG!?” She tossed her hands up in the air, giving up.

“Now, now. No need to be so forceful.” Vicky patted Amira’s shoulders. She then gently placed a hand on Oz’s arm. “Oz? We stopped already. You can let go now.” Vicky said gently.

Soon Oz responded. _“I-it’s over?”_

“Yeah.” Brian said. “Can you please let me go now?”

 _“S-sure.”_ Oz released Brian.

Brian was finally free, he jumped out of the car and stretched. When he turned back to see Oz, he was stiffly still lying in the backseat and his knees were fully folded, no wonder Brian couldn’t see his feet on the side. Amira pulled Oz up and was surprised on how easy it was compared to earlier.

“You okay there buddy? Are your legs cramped?” Amira didn’t let go of Oz’s arm in case he fell over.

 _“N-no, I’m fine. I just never got on an intense ride before.”_ Oz glanced at the car warily.

Amira laughed and patted Oz’s back. “You’ll get used to it!”

“Are you even going to tell me what we’re doing here or why you dragged Oz along with you?” Brian said annoyed as he crossed his arms.

“Yeah, you’re totally gonna love this!” Amira smiled and placed a hand on Brian’s shoulder.

“I highly doubt that.” Brian grumbled.

Amira walked behind Oz and placed her hands on his shoulders. “We’re buying this guy a phone!” She said excitedly.

“WHAT!?” Brian and Vicky yelled at the same time.

Brian turned to Vicky. “Why are you surprised!?”

“I didn’t know what we were doing!” Vicky replied.

Oz turned to Amira. _“But I don’t need a phone.”_

“I’m giving it to you so just accept it!”

_“Well, if you insist.”_

“I do. So, let’s get going!” Amira pushed Oz along.

Brian and Vicky followed behind as they headed towards a mobile store that was close to where the car was parked. On their way there Vicky talked to Brian about how they ended up here and that Oz wasn’t mad at them. The turbulent car ride had made Brian slightly forget of what happened before but he was glad to know things were fine. Amira always had a flare for the dramatics when it came to making things right.

“Still, did you have to kidnap me off the street?” Brian asked.

“We thought it would be simpler than explaining things.” Vicky nodded.

Brian sighed. “What on earth did you tell Oz?”

“Wh-what do you mean?” Vicky stuttered.

“You know what I mean. I doubt he would be on board to randomly kidnap me.” Brian said bluntly.

“Well…” Vicky trailed off.

“Vicky.”

“We, sort of told him you went on ahead and forgot we had a car.”

“And?”

“And we couldn’t think of a way to snatch you up if Amira was driving. We told him we’d pulk you up because you’d try and race the car otherwise. Then he volunteered to pick you up. We weren’t so sure it would work out but we thought he’d be good bait.”

Brian pinched the bridge of his nose. “I swear, you two…”

“D-don’t worry! I’m sure he was too distracted by the ride to remember why he even caught you in the first place!”

“Are you sure about that?” Brian glanced at Vicky skeptically.

“I’m pretty sure. He was rambling the whole way until we spotted you.”

“Rambling?”

“Yeah, something about the speed limit, car safety, seatbelts and all that. He was talking so much I couldn’t really get what he was saying.” Vicky explained.

Oz was very silent during the whole ride when Brian was abducted so it was hard to believe he was rambling before that, although it wasn’t hard to imagine, Brian chuckled at the thought.

“Sooo, do you forgive us? We’re really sorry.”

“I don’t hear Amira apologizing.”

“Oh, shush you.” Vicky flapped her hand. “She’s buying your boyfriend a phone, cut her some slack.”

Brian sighs. “Fine… but I’m still annoyed.”

“Wait, you aren’t going to refute my boyfriend comment?”

“If I react to every single one of your provocations, I’d have gone insane long ago, Vick.”

Vicky snapped her fingers. “Darn, I was sure that would get a rise out of you.”

Once they caught up with Amira and Oz in the mobile store, they were looking at the sample phones but Oz seemed to be more interested in reading the phone’s descriptions and looking at the pamphlets. Oz said he didn’t care what phone he gets so the 3 monsters went around picking something for him. When they were done picking something, Oz was staring at some used flip phones so Amira yanked him away from that display.

Amira chose one of the latest phone models with many camera functions. Brian chose a phone good for gaming. Vicky chose a phone that was slightly smaller than the other two and had many practical apps already installed. Oz took 30 minutes to choose and finally picked the phone Vicky chose. Amira paid for the phone along with a number and anything else they needed. When the whole process was done, they all added Oz’s number to their phones and added theirs to his. Afterwards they went to a diner that was close by. They sat at a booth with Brian next to Oz and Amira next to Vicky.

Oz stared at his new phone. _“So, you’re really giving me this phone?”_ He turned to Amira.

“Yes, we’ve been over this already.” Amira said dismissively. “Anyway, I don’t think I’ve heard but why were you faking sickness to the school when you could just y’know, skip?”

_“It’s in the school regulations and I would maintain attendance records that way.”_

“Okay, so why did you skip school to begin with? I do it when I have something else to do like go to a concert or party or something.” Amira took a sip from her soda.

 _“Well…”_ Oz glanced at Vicky for a split second and she tensed up but then he glanced to Brian and back to Amira. _“I needed time to think.”_

“For a whole week?” Amira raised a brow.

_“More or less.”_

“Dude, what the hell takes that long to think about?”

 _“I was contemplating on dropping out of Spooky High.”_ Oz said nonchalantly.

Vicky slammed her hands on the table and stood up looking shocked while Brian seems to be in a coughing fit. Amira and Oz were startled by their reactions.

“W-why would you want to drop out!?” Vicky yelled.

“*cough* yeah, you said you’ll be back tomorrow.” Brian wheezed.

Oz looked at the two of them. _“Ummm… I am going back tomorrow so I’m not dropping out.”_

Vicky sat back down. “B-but why were you thinking of dropping out?”

_“A lot of personal reasons. It has nothing to do with the school itself if that’s what you’re worried about.”_

“I… see…” Vicky said in a very low voice.

“Well, good to know you’ll be staying with us shadow boy. Otherwise, Brian there would totally be depressed.” Amira snickered as she pointed at Brian.

“I would not!” Brian said defensively.

Oz turned to Brian. _“You wouldn’t?”_ He tilted.

“I mean… I…” Brian looked away. “Of course, I’d be sad if you suddenly disappeared.” He mumbled.

“What was that?” Amira cupped her ears. “I couldn’t hear you clearly.”

Brian turned to Amira. “It was nothing.” He said bluntly.

“C’mon! Oz, what did he say?” Amira turned to Oz.

_“Hmmm… do you really want to know?”_

“Yes!”

“I wanna know too!”

Oz glanced at Brian for a second. _“But it’s not interesting.”_

“If it isn’t, then just spill it!” Amira slammed a fist on the table lightly.

Oz shrugged. _“He said, Of course, I wouldn’t.”_

“Aww man. Looks like we haven’t cracked him yet.” Amira leaned on the table.

 _“Cracked?”_ Oz looked at Brian.

“Not literally.” Brian said.

The night continued with some idle chatter and when they had to go home Oz adamantly refused to be driven home, saying that he’ll get back on his own. The 3 said their goodbyes and sped off with Amira driving once again.

* * *

It was Thursday, the day Vicky had a class with Oz and she was going to give his notebook back. She could have returned it the other day but she wanted it to be a private conversation. Vicky was now sure Oz can’t read minds or at least in the conventional way but that still leaves the mystery of him knowing she needed the notebook and him melting in front of her. Oz’s house was a huge mystery on its own but that isn’t really important now.

As usual she got to class early and soon Oz showed up like he said he would be. Vicky gave him his notebook back which he took without a word. She told him they needed to talk after class and he just gave a nod. Class went by just the way it did last week, the teacher wrote, the students chatter, Oz and Vicky this time paid attention. Vicky kept taking glances at Oz and he was really just taking notes, he didn’t even glance at her once. The moment of truth arrived and they were the only ones left in the classroom facing each other.

“I’m sure you have some idea of what I’m going to say.” Vicky crossed her arms. Oz nodded. “Then I’ll start with what happened at the library. What was that whole melting thing?”

 _“That’s just something I can do.”_ Oz instantly melted and reformed himself. _“Does that suffice?”_

Vicky stared agape for a while before snapping out of it. “Okay, sure but you were melting so slowly back then! I thought I killed you!”

 _“W-well, if it wasn’t obvious, I was nervous. I kind of just… melted on my own.”_ Oz said in a small voice.

“Alright, then I’ll ask you again. How did you know I needed those notes?”

 _“That’s personal.”_ Oz instantly replied.

“What?”

_“I said it’s personal so I’m not telling you how.”_

Vicky grabbed Oz by the collar and pulled him closer. “Listen here. You’re telling me how you knew or you’re going to regret it!” She glared at him.

 _“I’ll tell you, if you tell me why you didn’t just ask Amira or Brian to help you get batteries.”_ Oz has learned deflect.

Vicky wasn’t expecting that comeback and released her hold. “H-how did you know that!?” Her eyes were wide.

 _“Aside from the fact that I’m the one that found you batteries.”_ Oz straightened out his collar. _“It was a guess and you just confirmed it was true.”_

Vicky went silent. She’s been outdone and can’t come up with anything to say. She had carelessly exposed her mask and she can’t do anything about it if Oz decides to tell her friends. Would they believe him if he told them? Oz is very odd to say the least but he’s been nothing but honest as far as she could tell. Vicky thought she could intimidate him but she didn’t expect him to talk back when she did. Is this really the same guy that melted away from a single question?

Oz hadn’t moved or said anything more. It felt like he was staring into her soul, is that how he knew? Probably not, they didn’t stare at each other back then. Vicky thought that if Oz told Brian about this exchange, he’d definitely hate her and there was nothing she could do to overturn it this time. Vicky could still get some answers if she told him why she didn’t ask for help but there was no way she’ll admit that to a stranger when she couldn’t even admit that to her friends.

 _“Vicky, do you hate me?”_ Oz asked.

The question was sudden and out of nowhere that Vicky wasn’t sure how to respond. Did she hate Oz? Not really, she just wanted answers and he won’t give them to her. He’s seen sides of her she didn’t like showing and he’s so mysterious it irritates her but not really hate.

“No, I don’t hate you.” Vicky leaned on her desk. “What about you? Don’t you hate me?”

The only possible answer was yes. He’s been nothing but nice to her and she responds with fake smiles and intimidation. Vicky’s not sure why he hasn’t said anything to Brian or why he acted like nothing happened the other day, it made things easier but at the same time it made her anxious.

 _“I don’t hate you either.”_ Oz replied.

Vicky narrowed her eyes. “You don’t have to say that just to be nice. I’m sure Brian won’t mind since he thinks I’m annoying already.” She said dismissively.

_“If it makes you feel better, I don’t really like you much, yet.”_

Vicky raised a brow. “How’s that supposed to make me feel better?”

_“By slightly agreeing with you.”_

Vicky chuckled at that. “I guess it worked.”

They went silent again but Vicky was less pressured this time. She wasn’t sure what she was doing anymore. Well, at least she knows Oz is nice but that was very obvious that there was no need for all this mystery cracking that lead to practically nothing. Although if she was the cause of Oz’s absence from school that lead them to know where he lives.

“So, tell me. Did you take a sick leave because of me?”

_“I guess you did trigger it.”_

“What about it being due to personal reasons?”

_“That’s still true.”_

“Are you going to tell the others about this?”

_“I don’t see why I would.”_

“You’re so weird.” Vicky giggled.

 _“Yes, I’m sure we’ve all established that.”_ Oz sighed. _“Aren’t you going to the cafeteria?”_

“Nah, not yet.” Vicky sat up and stretched her arms out. “That reminds me, did you lure me to the bathrooms back then?”

_“Yes.”_

“Care to elaborate or is that personal too?”

Oz pondered for a while. _“You looked cranky and I didn’t know how else to give you the battery.”_

“But… how could you be sure I’d follow you?” Vicky looked confused.

_“That’s a trade secret.”_

Vicky put a hand in front of her mouth. “Don’t tell me… you’re used to luring unsuspecting victims!” She said in exaggerated surprise.

 _“Do you really want to know?”_ Oz waggled his eyebrows for some reason.

“No way… you’re kidding.” Vicky looked genuinely shocked now.

_“I haven’t said anything yet.”_

“I guess… I’m fine without knowing.”

 _“Anyway, you should really go to the cafeteria before lunch is over.”_ Oz stood up from his desk.

Vicky didn’t really want to go yet because that would mean meeting up with Amira and Brian. She wasn’t feeling cheerful enough to keep a smile on her face and she didn’t have anything to do to distract from that fact. They would surely ask why she wasn’t as chipper as usual and she has no excuse for it.

Oz took Vicky’s hand and pulled her up. _“Come on, I’ll go with you.”_

Vicky was a bit dazed from the sudden movement. “But… you said you don’t eat.” She blinked.

_“And I still went to the diner with you guys.”_

“Oh, right. But why today?” Vicky tilted her head.

 _“There are many reasons but one of them is observation.”_ Oz shrugged. _“Let’s go or you won’t have enough time to eat.”_ He started to walk toward the door.

After a few seconds Vicky followed after him and they walked though the hallways side by side. “Ummm… I know you said you didn’t really like me much but… was that true?”

_“More or less. I don’t dislike you if that’s what you’re wondering about.”_

“Then… what about Brian? Do you like him?”

_“Yes, I like him.”_

“Y-you sure say some bold things for a shy person.”

Oz turned to Vicky. _“Don’t you like Amira and Brian?”_

“O-of course I like them. They’re my friends.”

 _“Then it should be fine.”_ Oz turned back to look ahead.

Vicky wasn’t sure what he meant by that. It was fine for him to be bold or was he talking about something else? They entered the cafeteria then joined Amira and Brian at their table once Vicky took some lunch.

“Geez, took you long enough to come here.” Amira grumbled. “Oh, hey Oz. Didn’t expect to see you here.” She waved.

Oz waved back. _“I thought I’d follow the flow every now and then.”_

“Didn’t you say you came for observation?” Vicky raised a brow.

_“Yes, one of many reasons.”_

“Oooo… what other reasons?” Amira asked.

“You don’t want to know.” Brian interjected.

Amira turned to Brian. “Why not?”

“Do you want to hear a lecture?” Brian said.

_“It won’t take that long. I’ve tried to compress most of my reasonings. At least I think I have.”_

“Wait, you’re actually compressing them?” Brian turned to Oz.

_“Yes, after our previous discussion I’ve tried to think of ways to simplify what I say.”_

“Suddenly, I’m not so interested anymore.” Amira furrowed her brows.

The 3 continued to chat throughout lunch and Vicky only said a few words as she ate. It felt calming for some reason and Vicky was surprised on how much Oz could talk. Her previous worries vanished and she wondered if somehow Oz knew what she was worried about. If he did, she doesn’t have a problem with him knowing this time and helping her in his odd roundabout ways.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sure my randomness showed and I was having fun X3  
> Again this ended up longer than I intended. I didn't even know where it was gonna end up lol  
> Not sure if I'll make an Oz POV of these events.


	17. Weekend Texting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The popular monsters make weekend plans and Damien and Oz ended up texting a lot.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This felt like it was just me channeling my geekyness to Oz XD  
> Finally another regular sized chapter lol

**Present Date**

It was the weekend which meant free time. A certain video has been going viral among the students of Spooky High, it was a video of monsters dancing at the previous rave. Normally that wouldn’t garner much attention but of course having a certain party ghost in it invited many clicks. The comments were flooded with questions on who the shadowy figure dancing with Polly was. Not being a slave to hot topics and trending news, Oz has no clue that his image is being spread.

Oz had planned out the weekend beforehand and told his roommates that he’ll mostly be on his desk playing games on his laptop. He started the day with going to the basement to do plastination on the corpse he bought from Valerie a few days ago. Their basement was practically a laboratory that’s probably more well stocked than their school’s labs. There were many dangerous equipment and materials down there that could be used for various experiments from anatomy to engineering. Oz had made sure the room was blast-proof so that the whole apartment doesn’t blow up if anything goes wrong.

The basement was mostly just used by Oz and Vicky. Amira and Brian only used it when it involved schoolwork or to mess around with something (that’s mostly Amira) and that’s only with either Oz or Vicky’s supervision. The corpse Oz bought wasn’t exactly in great condition and was showing a lot of decay. So, instead of simply preserving it for his collection, he decided to make it interesting and practice on his plastination skills. Oz wasn’t going to fully do the whole process of plastination since that would take a lot of time so he just did the first step which is fixation and let the corpse drown in formaldehyde.

After his little project, Oz made breakfast with Vicky watching since she said it would be interesting. He left the kitchen once breakfast was made and went into his room to start his all-day gaming session. It wasn’t something he did often unless a new intriguing mystery game was released but that wasn’t the case now. What Oz was going to play all day were Visual Novel Dating Sims. He had figured it would count as research on how to find a prom date and if nothing else, a chance to delve into a genre he’s unfamiliar with.

* * *

**_Spooky High Elite Chat Group_ **

**Polly:** Hey boos! Who’s up for some bowling tonight?

 **Liam:** Pass.

 **Polly:** Then don’t answer >:(

 **Damien:** I’ll go. Haven’t bowled in a while.

 **Vera:** I suppose I have some free time.

 **Scott:** I’ll go too bro!

 **Miranda:** I’m afraid I have some other engagements to attend this week. I too shall pass.

 **Polly:** That’s a shame Miri ☹

 **Liam:** What’s with that reaction!?

 **Miranda:** It must be due to my impeccable manners :D

 **Polly:** Yeah! What Miri said!

 **Liam:** Do you even know what impeccable means?

 **Polly:** I know words!

 **Scott:** I know words too!

 **Liam:** Whatever, I have things to do. I’ll be off now.

 **Miranda:** Yes, I too shall be on my way to something. Toodles.

 **Polly:** Anyway, that makes Me, Damien, Vera, and Scott to go bowling.

 **Vera:** I’ll be inviting someone else to come along.

 **Damien:** Wait, we’re inviting other monsters now!?

 **Vera:** I’ll do what I want Damien.

 **Scott:** Then can I invite someone too?

 **Polly:** Sure thing Scott! The more the merrier!

 **Polly:** Oooh I’ll invite someone too!

 **Damien:** No fair! I’m inviting someone too!

 **Vera:** It’s not a contest. Do you even have any other friends?

 **Damien:** I know others!

 **Vera:** So, what time should I show up?

 **Polly:** Let’s meet up at 7pm and make our surprise guests a surprise!

 **Damien:** Don’t ignore me!

 **Scott:** I can’t wait to see everyone’s surprise guest!

 **Polly:** Me too buddy!

 **Scott:** Yay!

* * *

**_Amira’s Phone_ **

**Vera:** I’m going bowling with some associates and I’m inviting you. Be at the bowling ally by 7PM and don’t be late. I hate waiting.

Amira was surprised by the sudden invitation. Despite the wording, it sounds like Vera is inviting her to hang out rather than a business deal. Regardless of the reason it feels like a great opportunity. Amira had been feeling awkward around Vera ever since she refused the gorgon’s request to sell information on Oz. The only reason Amira could talk to Vera last night was because she drank enough liquid courage. She won’t reply in case Vera might retract her invitation and it would make her seem too eager.

* * *

**_Vicky’s Phone_ **

**Good Boy Scott:** VICKY LET’S GO BOWLING TONIGHT!

 **Vicky:** Sure!

 **Good Boy Scott:** Yay!

 **Vicky:** When?

 **Good Boy Scott:** 7

 **Vicky:** Okay. I’ll see you there Scott 😊

OMG a date with Scott! Well, probably not a date since he always hangs out with friends or the wolfpack during the weekends but close enough! Vicky was always too nervous to ask Scott out that the closest she got was some tutoring sessions they did for his failing subjects (almost all of them) and those were done at school. This was the first time they’ll be meeting outside of school and Vicky wonders if she should wear something different for the occasion. Oh, but it won’t just be the two of them. Right, she can just tie her hair up. It’s nothing fancy but just a slightly different look.

* * *

**_Brian’s Phone_ **

**Fan Favorite Polly:** Hey boo!

 **Brian:** Sup?

 **Fan Favorite Polly:** I’m going bowling with some friends tonight.

 **Brian:** That’s nice

 **Fan Favorite Polly:** You and your tappy friend should come along!

 **Brian:** Tappy friend?

 **Fan Favorite Polly:** You know, the guy you showed up with last night!

 **Brian:** You mean Oz?

 **Fan Favorite Polly:** Yeah! That guy!

 **Brian:** He’s already doing something tonight

 **Brian:** I don’t think he’ll want to go

 **Fan Favorite Polly:** That’s a shame. He would’ve been a great addition to the party!

 **Brian:** I thought you were going bowling?

 **Fan Favorite Polly:** Everywhere is a party when I’m around!

 **Fan Favorite Polly:** btw are you coming?

 **Brian:** Guess I don’t have anything better to do

 **Fan Favorite Polly:** KK! We’re meeting up at 7

 **Brian:** Okay

 **Fan Favorite Polly:** See ya there B!

Brian wonders how Polly even remembers Oz from a one-time meeting when she was pretty high at the time. Oz did mention that he danced with her for a while, although the only mental image Brian could think of is Oz flailing around like he does whenever he tries to play DDR. While it wasn’t rare for Polly to randomly invite Brian to parties, a casual sounding hang out with her friends was a first. It would be great if the others could join but Polly only invited him and Oz who’ll most likely refuse when he practically declared he will not be leaving the apartment and has been in their room ever since Brian woke up.

* * *

**_Oz’s Phone_ **

**Damien LaVey:** Hey noob! You free tonight?

 **Oz:** I already have plans tonight. Did you need something?

 **Damien LaVey:** I was just gonna ask if you’d be up to go bowling

 **Oz:** Sorry, but I’ll decline. Maybe next time. Thanks for inviting me though.

 **Damien LaVey:** What about tomorrow?

 **Oz:** I’ve made plans for tomorrow too.

 **Damien LaVey:** What the fuck are you doing the whole weekend?

 **Oz:** Staying home doing indoor activities.

 **Damien LaVey:** If that’s all you can go out!

 **Oz:** I can but I refuse. If it’s something important I can change my plans but I’d prefer not to if it could be helped.

 **Damien LaVey:** What would count as important for you to ditch your boring plans?

 **Oz:** A life and death emergency.

 **Damien LaVey:** Are you fucking serious?

 **Oz:** Well, there are always exceptions but it’s not like you really need me to go out.

 **Damien LaVey:** Come bowling

 **Damien LaVey:** It’s just for the night

 **Damien LaVey:** You can go back to your boring stuff afterwards

 **Oz:** No.

 **Damien LaVey:** What if I say the P word?

 **Oz:** No.

 **Damien LaVey:** I bet you’d say yes if Rotface asked you

 **Oz:** Who?

 **Damien LaVey:** Your zombo friend

 **Oz:** I’d appreciate it if you called my friends by their names and I would still say no if he asked me to go bowling now.

 **Damien LaVey:** What if Sparky asks you?

 **Damien LaVey:** Noob, you there?

 **Damien LaVey:** Are you ignoring me!?

**2 Minutes Later**

**Damien LaVey:** What if Vicky asks you?

 **Oz:** The answer is still no and it’s not going to change no matter who asks.

 **Damien LaVey:** But you went to the rave last night when they invited you!

 **Oz:** I didn’t have any plans last night. How did you know I was invited? I don’t remember mentioning that.

**1 Minute later**

**Damien LaVey:** That’s not important

 **Damien LaVey:** Why are you being so fucking stubborn?

 **Oz:** I could say the same thing. It’s just bowling and I’m sure you’re going with some friends already so I don’t have any reason to be there if what you want is company.

 **Damien LaVey:** How can you be sure?

 **Damien LaVey:** I didn’t mention going with my friends

 **Oz:** I doubt you’d go bowling by yourself and only ask me to go with you, unless there’s some other reason I can’t think about. Am I wrong?

 **Damien LaVey:** No

 **Oz:** Then my point stands.

 **Damien LaVey:** Fine, I get it

 **Damien LaVey:** You won’t go

 **Oz:** Yes, thank you for understanding.

 **Damien LaVey:** Don’t tell me UR spending the whole weekend to watch cat videos

 **Oz:** As fun as that sounds. No, I won’t be watching cat videos the entire weekend.

 **Damien LaVey:** You can’t be that busy if you haven’t shooed me off like the first time I texted you

 **Oz:** I never said I was busy. I just have other things I’d rather be doing which I’m actually doing right now.

 **Damien LaVey:** You actually doing something now?

 **Oz:** Yes.

 **Damien LaVey:** Why didn’t you say something sooner!?

 **Oz:** I can multitask since it’s not time sensitive.

 **Damien LaVey:** Then we can still chat?

 **Oz:** If you want to.

 **Damien LaVey:** What are you actually doing?

 **Oz:** Essentially, reading.

 **Damien LaVey:** Are you fucking studying on a weekend?

 **Oz:** No, I wouldn’t call it that and I’ve already done all my homework.

 **Damien LaVey:** Don’t remind me

 **Damien LaVey:** Then what are you reading?

 **Oz:** A graphic novel of sorts.

 **Damien LaVey:** Why are you being so damn vague?

 **Damien LaVey:** Are you reading an erotic novel or something?

 **Damien LaVey:** You can tell me if you are

**1 Minute Later**

**Damien LaVey:** Oi did you get to the good part?

**1 Minute Later**

**Damien LaVey:** I was joking! Don’t take it so seriously!

**2 Minutes Later**

**Damine LaVey:** FUCKING ANSWER ME NOOB!

**2 Minutes Later**

**Oz:** Sorry, something suddenly came up. It’s done now. I checked and no, it’s not an erotic novel.

 **Damien LaVey:** You checked?

 **Oz:** Yes, I checked online to see if what I’m reading has erotic content in it since I wasn’t sure.

 **Damien LaVey:** That was it?

 **Oz:** Well, no. Something else happened.

 **Damien LaVey:** What happened?

 **Oz:** Butterflies attacked so I had to shoot them down.

 **Damien LaVey:** WTF?

 **Oz:** IKR? I was surprised.

 **Damien LaVey:** Are you messing with me again?

 **Oz:** Kind of but not really. It was virtual butterflies on my screen so I virtually shot them down.

 **Damien LaVey:** You said you were reading!

 **Oz:** I am, on my laptop.

 **Damien LaVey:** Sounds like UR just playing a game

 **Oz:** Because I technically am.

 **Damien LaVey:** You could have just said that from the start

 **Damien LaVey:** I play games all the time when I’m not busy burning shit

 **Oz:** It’s still 95% reading so I don’t think YOU would call it a game. I just didn’t expect this one to have any gameplay and it caught me by surprise.

 **Damien LaVey:** What kind of game does that?

 **Oz:** Visual Novels apparently.

 **Damien LaVay:** That’s a type of game?

 **Oz:** That’s debatable, which is why I didn’t say I was playing a game in the first place.

 **Damien LaVey:** Then what’s it like?

 **Damien LaVey:** Just give it to me straight and stop being vague about it!

 **Oz:** Give me a minute.

**3 Minutes Later**

**Oz:** Like I said, it’s a graphic novel of sorts. A lot of them play out like a choose your own adventure book just with more graphics and sometimes voice acting. Some are just linear visual novels without any choices or gameplay while some are still linear but include some gameplay or logic puzzles you have to get through in order to progress the story. Just like novels there are many genres of visual novels like sci-fi, horror, mystery, etc. Was that clear enough?

**1 Minute Later**

**Damien LaVey:** Yeah, I think I get the gist of it

 **Damien LaVey:** What’s the one UR reading now about?

 **Oz:** A girl trapped in a strange mansion with a group of people and they all have amnesia.

 **Damien LaVey:** You think that’s interesting?

 **Oz:** I think it is so far. I can’t really tell where the story is going and there’s a lot of mystery.

 **Damien LaVey:** Now you’ve got me curious

 **Oz:** I can’t recommend it since I haven’t completed it yet.

 **Damien LaVey:** And by complete you mean?

 **Oz:** Finish reading every single dialogue option and get all the endings.

 **Damien LaVey:** Won’t that take forever?

 **Oz:** According to some records it should take an average of around 40 hours to complete. That’s a pretty standard length. Although I’d probably take longer.

 **Damien LaVey:** Are you actually a slow reader even though UR a nerd?

 **Oz:** No, it’s just that you’re distracting me now.

 **Damien LaVey:** YOU SAID IT WAS FINE

 **Oz:** It is, but it does make reading this slower.

 **Damien LaVey:** If you want me gone just say so

 **Damien LaVey:** No need to beat around the bush

 **Oz:** It’s not that. But aren’t you bored just chatting with me? This has been going on for a while, wouldn’t you prefer to do something else? Or are you multitasking too?

 **Damien LaVey:** I’m not doing anything and I’m not fucking bored

 **Damien LaVey:** I might leave you alone if you agree to go out tonight

 **Oz:** Nice try but the answer is still no.

 **Damien LaVey:** So you’d rather keep answering my texts all day but you won’t go out for a few hours?

 **Oz:** Yes.

 **Damien LaVey:** SERIOUSLY!

 **Oz:** Seriously. Why are you hellbent on me going bowling tonight? You already confirmed that you’re going with some friends.

 **Damien LaVey:** It’s nothing I just really like bowling

 **Oz:** That doesn’t answer my question. You’ve been asking me things so now it’s my turn.

 **Damien LaVey:** We’re not playing a game!

 **Oz:** I am.

 **Damien LaVey:** I told you it’s nothing

 **Oz:** Please?

 **Damien LaVey:** That word has no meaning to me

**1 Minute Later**

**Damien LaVey:** Do you think the same trick will work again?

 **Damien LaVey:** Hah! Guess again.

**3 Minutes Later**

**Damien LaVey:** You said you’ll keep answering all my texts

**5 Minutes Later**

**Damien LaVey:** FUCKING FINE

 **Damien LaVey:** The others are inviting others to join tonight and I’m inviting you but you keep saying NO

 **Damien LaVey:** THERE ARE YOU HAPPY?

 **Oz:** Very. Thanks for telling me.

 **Damien LaVey:** Whatever

 **Oz:** Do you have to invite someone?

 **Damien LaVey:** No

 **Oz:** Then it’s fine. You’re still going to have fun with your friends. Do you even know who they’re inviting?

 **Damien LaVey:** No

 **Oz:** If you hate being the only one not bringing someone out of your group then you could always cancel and not go at all.

 **Damien LaVey:** Fuck no

 **Oz:** Then I don’t see the problem. Just go and have fun like usual. Then stop trying to convince me to go out this weekend.

 **Damien LaVey:** You just had to add that last part, didn’t you?

 **Oz:** Only because you keep pestering me about it.

 **Damien LaVey:** Fine, I get the message

 **Damien LaVey:** You still reading that game?

 **Oz:** Yep.

Damien continued to text with Oz for 2 hours talking about various videogames. Damien sounded disappointed to hear that Oz didn’t play FoF but was excited to hear that he did play Pokeman and said they should play at school sometime. Oz wondered why Damien was persistent in inviting him to go bowling earlier, since surely there must be other monsters he could ask but he felt like pointing that out would be a bad move. It was sort of flattering but not enough to make Oz change his mind on having a relaxing weekend just reading visual novel dating sims.

**Later**

**Vera Oberlin:** I’ve invited her and she didn’t reply. Whether she shows up or not I’ve done my part.

 **Oz:** I guess that’s fine. Your invitations don’t really encourage replies.

 **Vera Oberlin:** No complaining. I’ve done your little favor so now we’re even.

 **Oz:** I’m not complaining, just stating facts. It’s been a pleasure doing business with you.

 **Vera Oberlin:** We could make more arrangements. There are others I’d like to deal with in a similar manner.

 **Oz:** I’m not really interested in doing more of that but I could hear you out. I’ll have to charge more if this becomes a regular thing.

 **Vera Oberlin:** I suppose that’s to be expected. Make sure you don’t mess up or your previous offer stands. You do remember what that means, right?

 **Oz:** I remember and I don’t mind.

 **Vera Oberlin:** Just to be clear. Are you still going to ask for weird favors?

 **Oz:** Yes. You can veto them if you can’t handle them so it shouldn’t be a problem. I won’t ask for anything unreasonable.

 **Vera Oberlin:** I’ll hold you to that.

 **Oz:** By the way, will all these ‘transactions’ take place at the same location?

 **Vera Oberlin:** No. Is that a problem?

 **Oz:** No. Just making sure, since it would be highly suspicious otherwise.

 **Vera Oberlin:** Good to know you have enough smarts to realize that. I’ll give you the details when the time comes so don’t worry about it, just be ready.

Oz didn’t really need the favors since he doesn’t have any in mind but it seemed more interesting that way. He was sure Vera would refuse but perhaps the added provocation did the trick. This would be the closest thing Oz has to a job but in the end it’s just more crime. As Vera would say, he’s building contacts or something. The favors might prove useful or he can just ask for something random. Thinking on it, the ambiguous favors should make Vera less eager to ask for Oz’s assistance. With all that out of the way Oz went back to playing dating sims. He wasn’t really going to complete anything in just 48 hours and just played a route of many games.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *wink* if you get what VN Oz was playing :3  
> I was feeling lazy and then it struck me, ever get that feeling you can just chat about anything through text and you keep saying stuff just so the conversation will keep rolling? Well I have XD


	18. Bowling Bonding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A bit of Damien's POV when he was texting Oz. The rest is minor pairings fluff I guess.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was eating cake and pizza as I wrote this and didn't think TOO much on it.  
> It's been years since I went bowling T^T

Damien wasn’t planning to do anything that weekend, of course he doesn’t really plan ahead much but he thought he’d just spend the weekend at home and probably watch some reruns of BooPaul’s Drag Race. He felt tired, not sure from what but possibly from too much thinking the last few days. Polly’s bowling suggestion in the group chat sounded fun so he joined in but he didn’t expect the Vera of all people to say she’s inviting someone else to come along their usual weekend hangouts. The others joining also started to say they were inviting others so naturally Damien had to do the same.

When thinking of possible monsters to invite, there was only one that came to mind. Sure, there were others but nobody he’d actually want to just hang out with. Damien thought there was no way Oz would reject an invitation to hang out with him but to his surprise, the shadow monster turned him down without delay. Rather than getting angry, he felt like it was a challenge to try and convince Oz to go out that weekend.

Oz proved to be more stubborn than Damien thought he could be and all his convincing text skills seem to have no effect. Oz didn’t seem to question how Damien knew his friends, although with how much he seems to know about Damien and his social circle, it didn’t seem like something worth wondering about. Oz does however use a very annoying text technique called ‘ignoring read messages’ which Damien can’t stand since he was obviously doing it on purpose. For some reason Oz never protested on being called noob but calling his friends nicknames was crossing some sort of weird line Damien could fathom so he relented.

Failing miserably to convince Oz to go, Damien settled and asked what he was actually doing since Oz didn’t specify it. The guy clearly has no issue saying no through text and he hasn’t told Damien to leave him alone so it should be fine to continue. Things were going well, minus the few times Oz went silent for a few minutes either on purpose or not because he was thinking to seriously on what was supposed to be a joke or simple question.

Regardless of the question Oz replied even if it started out pretty vague. It was nice to just text about stuff with not much pressure since it was mostly just Damien driving the conversation. When Damien “sneakily” tried to invite Oz to go out again, he was rejected yet again but this time the question was turned on him on why he was being so persistent. The reason was pretty childish and lame. While not knowing much about how Oz thinks, not that it should matter, he would surely find Damien’s reasons worth some mockery.

With some time to think because the lack of response, Damien wasn’t sure how to take Oz’s statement of answering his texts all day compared to just going out and get it over with. Not that Damien could actually keep that up, especially if Oz goes silent because Damien won’t answer the question. He really didn’t want to tell them and while he could just call it quits here Damien didn’t want that either so he tried to throw Oz’s words back at him, there was no response.

So, that was a fucking lie. Not that it should be a surprise everyone fucking lies, although Damien already knows what to do to possibly get Oz to respond, he’s still hesitant to do it and can’t come up with a plausible lie himself. The thought of dragging Oz out by force due to frustration briefly crossed Damien’s mind before he remembered what happened in the library and erased the thought.

Giving in Damien rapidly answered Oz’s question and the shadow monster instantly replied. Instead of the mockery he had braced himself for preparing some colorful swears as comebacks, he was threw off by simple straightforward questions and suggestions which ended in a snarky remark. It’s true he didn’t need to bring someone along and Oz has stated over and over again that he wouldn’t go so Damien finally dropped the topic completely.

Oz was willing to continue replying to his texts talking about games. While he was enjoying their chat, Damien wanted to test on how true it was that Oz will keep replying before he gives up. In the end it was Damien who couldn’t keep it up, running out of random things to ask and feeling hungry. How Oz managed to keep texting on his phone while reading all that time is pretty impressive if it’s true.

Damien decided to arrive at the bowling alley late, he was never one to be punctual and he’d rather not wait for strangers. When he was there, everyone else had arrived and he couldn’t help but facepalm seeing the group that has gathered.

“What the fuck are you losers doing here?” Damien said in an exasperated tone. Out of all the monsters that his friends could have invited, it just had to be all of Oz’s friends without the guy himself.

“Damien! That’s mean!” Scott yelped.

“Yeah, no need to be so rude dude.” Amira said with fake offense knowing how Damien is. “Anyway, Vera invited me.” She gestured her thumb towards Vera who was leaning on a wall busy with her phone.

“Scott invited me!” Vicky said cheerfully.

“Polly.” Was all Brian said.

“Damien, did you forget that we were inviting others to join us?” Polly hovered over to Damien. “I don’t see you bringing anyone.” She peeked behind Damien’s shoulders trying to look for something.

“Yeah, well, they were busy.” Damien huffed, crossing his arms. “And what are you doing here?” He glared at Liam who was looking at his phone like usual.

“I didn’t have anything better to do so I thought I might as well grace you all with my presence.” Liam said in a bored tone. “By the way, you’re awfully late, which negates my fashionably late entrance.” He scoffed.

“Whatever.” Damien rolled his eyes. “Let’s just go already.” He started to walk into the bowling alley.

“What’s got you all grouchy?” Polly followed behind him. “We haven’t even started yet.”

Damien didn’t answer and just continued to grumpily walk inside. He wasn’t sure why he was so annoyed but he was. Due to the amount of people playing, they separated into 2 groups to each play at a different lane. Vera and Scott were with Amira and Vicky while Damien ended up with Polly, Liam, and Brian. After a few turns of bowling Damien’s mood did improve since he was crushing it with consecutive strikes that even Brian was a few points behind him in total score.

* * *

On the other lane Amira and Scott were competing while Vicky cheered them on and Vera just watched in amusement. Vera had no idea why Oz asked her to invite Amira to hang out as _his_ favor from her when it wouldn’t benefit him whatsoever. She couldn’t get a read on him after their few encounters. Oz didn’t seem too interested in money, even if he did agree to lend his services, he doesn’t exude the greed that most monsters for hire have, including herself.

As useful as Oz is, Vera can’t rely on him if she can’t control him. At least dealing with him is less chaotic that dealing with Damien whenever they do crime together. Damien hasn’t complained about the info Vera sold him so it seems that Oz kept quiet about their little exchange. Still, his favor this time was inconsequential but there was no guarantee the next one will be as mundane, even if Oz says otherwise it’s best to be cautious.

Vera watched Amira as she passionately bowled her heart out. Spending time with her wasn’t bad, dare she say it’s pretty fun, although Vera wouldn’t admit that. Although it is weird that all of Oz’s roommates are here while he isn’t. It’s not like Vera asked the other 2 to come here so she was a bit surprised. Oddly enough they all arrived at different times, Vicky arrived early before Vera even got there, Amira came just in time while Brian was a few minutes late.

Amira sat next to Vera as they take a break. “So, why the sudden invite to hang out?” Amira said. “Not that I mind but it is pretty sudden.” She said lightly.

Vera had prepared an answer to that specific question just in case. “Your mysterious friend asked me to.” She said bluntly. Oz never said to keep it a secret and she wanted to see how Amira would react to it.

Amira took a while to process the answer then pouted. “Aw man. And here I thought you’ve taken a liking to me.” She sighed.

“Wait, you’re not surprised?” Vera turned to Amira with a quizzical look.

“Well, kind of but Oz always does weird things when we’re not looking.” Amira shrugged and shook her head. “Plus, he already told us about meeting you a few days ago, no details though.”

“That’s strange.” Vera stroked her chin. “I thought he’d be more private than that.”

“Oh, he is but he’ll still tell you just enough that you won’t question it.” Amira said with a small smile.

Vera eyed Amira. “You’re certainly more open to talk about him more than before.” She smirked. “You even had the gall to say no to me.”

Amira chuckled at the snide remark. “Yeah, well, back then I thought he didn’t want to be known.” She put on a cheeky grin. “Can you believe he didn’t talk to anyone else for years aside the 3 of us?”

“Years!?” Vera’s mouth was agape as her eyes were wide. Amira had mentioned that she’s been friends with Oz since they attended Spooky High but to think he didn’t speak to more than 3 monsters until recently sounds absurd.

“Shocking, right?” Amira leaned back on her seat. “You can imagine our surprise when he said he talked to Vera Oberlin of all monsters.”

“Y-yes, that would be shocking indeed.” Vera was still a bit surprised by that tidbit.

“So, what did our shadow boy do to force you into inviting me to hang out?” Amira waggled her eyebrows.

“He didn’t really force me, it was more like a polite request.” Vera blurted without thinking when she recalled Oz stuttering the favor to her. She turned away to hide the blush on her cheeks.

“Oh, I-I guess that sounds more like Oz.” Amira let out a nervous laugh taking in the implication of Vera’s words.

For reasons Amira couldn’t fathom, Oz had requested Vera to ask Amira to hang out apparently. Amira was joking when she asked the question, expecting Vera to dismiss it but what she got was an actual answer that indicates that Vera wasn’t really against the idea of hanging out with Amira. There was also the rare surprised reaction Vera had when she mentioned that Oz hasn’t spoken to anyone new in years. Looks like she’ll have to thank Oz later.

* * *

Vicky was on the bowling lane trying to… bowl. She doesn’t completely suck at sports but she’s no Amira or Brian, she’s just better with other type of sports that don’t involve balls, especially heavy balls. The few times Vicky tried to throw the bowling ball it would gutter or she swung her arms too far back that she almost fell over backwards, thankfully Scott was there to catch her before that happened.

“T-thanks for catching me again Scott.” Vicky said with a nervous laugh. It would be less embarrassing if she was doing it on purpose but she really just sucked at bowling.

“No problem!” Scott smiled wagging his tail. “Are you not good at bowling?”

“Yeah… I’m not very good at it.” Vicky said dejectedly.

“Maybe I can help teach you!” Scott picked up a bowling ball. 

“Aww, you’d do that for me?” Vicky smiled.

“Yeah! You’re always helping me study now I can help you too.”

Scott started to show Vicky how to bowl. He wasn’t the best at explaining things but he was great at showing examples. Apparently, Vicky has been holding the balls all wrong this entire time, she used all 3 middle fingers which made it hard to release the ball correctly. Once she followed how Scott was held the ball and assume the bowling form he used, Vicky was at least able to knock a few pins down.

“Woohoo! I finally hit some pins!” Vicky threw her fists in the air.

“You did it, Vicky!” Scott offered her a low high five so Vicky could easily reach it.

“All thanks to you Scott!” Vicky accepted the high five enthusiastically.

The night was going great for Vicky. Sure, she was embarrassingly bad at bowling earlier but it turned onto a great opportunity to get closer to Scott. Scott even said Vicky’s tied up hair looked pretty when he showed up, which she didn’t think he’d even notice, especially at first glance. She should tie her hair up more often around Scott.

* * *

Before Brian left the apartment, he mentioned to Oz that Polly invited them to go out, just in case but as expected he declined. The mention of Polly seemed to startle Oz a bit like he didn’t expect her to remember him just like Brian did. He wasn’t really sure who would be at this bowling hang out but if he had to venture a guess, it would be the other popular monsters from school. What he didn’t expect was to see his friends that went out earlier than him to be there.

As they waited for Damien to show up, they chatted among themselves on how funny it is that none of them knew that they were heading to the same place that night. They all left the apartment at different times just saying they have things to do tonight with Brian being the last. Amira left first looking like her usual self. Vicky left next seeming more giddy than usual for going out alone.

Liam showed up before Damien did which made Polly and Scott confused for some reason. Damien looked grumpy upon arrival after seeing everyone that gathered. Brian wondered if Damien was still in a weird mood but after a while it just seemed like usual Damien so he stopped thinking about it.

Damien was getting a lot of strikes but with how hard he was throwing the balls, the pins break upon impact which Brian thought was overkill for just bowling. It’s a wonder how they haven’t been kicked out for property damage. Looking at the other lane, it seems like Scott’s throws had the same effect as Damien’s if not more. Polly was moving the ball weirdly when it was near the pins, for some reason she tried only knocking down the 4 front middle pins she said. Brian looked at the screen that showed a top angle of the pins and chuckled, realizing what Polly was trying to do. Liam purposely guttered all his balls as soon as he threw them.

As they took a break, Brian sat next to Liam who was listening to music wearing earbuds, the universal sign of “don’t talk to me” in public. Liam often rants about mainstream being garbage in many topics, especially music so Brian is curious on what he actually listens to. Recalling a past event and feeling pretty bold, Brian swiftly plucked one of the earbuds out of Liam’s ear to put it on his own without saying a word. The act obviously startled the vampire who was minding his own business.

“Wh-what do you think you’re doing!” Liam stuttered out, turning to Brian with a baffled look on his face.

“Just curious.” Brian said monotone. He didn’t expect such a big reaction with how standoffish Liam always seemed and the company he keeps.

“Don’t just do that out of nowhere!” Liam protests with a frown.

Brian tuned out Liam’s protest as he tried listening to the music. It sounded familiar but he couldn’t place a name on it. “What’s this song called?”

“Excuse me?” Liam raised a brow.

“What’s the song title?” Brian closed his eyes. “I feel like I’ve heard it before.”

“You’ve heard this before?!” Liam sounds surprised.

“I think so. Just can’t recall the name.”

Hearing that, Liam started to ramble on about the song and the band that preformed it while Brian just listened. Brian had indeed heard the song before but knew nothing specific about it, he probably heard it as some sort of background music or something and it just happened to stick. When Liam was done talking about the specific band, he moved on to the topic of obscure indie bands in general. Brian has had an interest in the vampire for quite some time now but this is probably the most they’ve spoken, even after the lunch incident when Brian incapacitated Damien (lol).

* * *

At some point Vera was complaining to Damien and Scott for destroying a lot of pins when a random mummy walked up to them and declared he was the best at bowling. It somehow led to Amira having to play DEATHBOWLING with Scott as her choice of partner against 3 mummies that counts as 2, because 2 of them don’t have enough individuality. After a series of nonsensical obstacles that was known as DEATHBOWLING, Amira and Scott emerge victorious. The group celebrated their win at a pizza parlor, treated by a random businessman for some reason.

Polly downed a bottle of beer and slammed it on the table. “MAN! What a night!” She turned to Brian who was sitting to her left. “You’re tappy friend missed out on so much!”

“Taffy fwend?” Amira said as she was eating a pizza from across Brian on the table.

“She calls Oz that for some reason.” Brian turned to Polly. “Why do you call him that?” He raised a brow.

“What? You guys didn’t see?” Polly looks shocked.

“See what?” Vicky tilted.

Polly pulled out her phone and showed a video to everyone. “This guy knows how to groove.” She smirks.

Almost everyone looked at the video of Oz and Polly tap dancing during the rave with shock. Scott and Liam seemed to find it interesting despite not knowing much about Oz. Amira, Brian, Vera and Vicky almost can’t believe what they’re seeing but it’s clearly true unless that’s a very convincing doppelganger. Damien is just stunned seeing that the nerd actually has some moves, WHAT CAN’T HE DO!?

Back at the apartment Oz felt a shiver though his body. He closed the window thinking it was probably the chilly night air and went back to playing games.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I literally wrote the weekend just to mirror one of the weekend events in Monster Prom, just with more characters XD


	19. Heart Attack

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Midterms are coming up and Damien needs help. Oz isn't feeling so well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally getting into the Damien x Oz of the fic lol  
> I apologize in advance for the running gag, you'll know when you see it.

It was Monday and Damien finished his lunch early to go search for Oz. Midterms is next week, it practically snuck up on most of the students this morning when their teachers mentioned it during first period which meant that any classes like Theater and PE are canceled for this week and the next. There were 2 types of reactions to this news, half were panicking ready to cram for the rest of the week while the other half took it in stride, either because they saw it coming or they didn’t care. Damien had both of those reactions at the same time, seeming not to care but panicking on the inside.

Damien didn’t care about his grades all that much, he couldn’t care less about what the teachers told him but his dads expect him to at least get passing grades or they’re taking some of his privileges away. By privileges, it’s mostly just no wreaking havoc at school but he’s still free to wreak havoc elsewhere. It doesn’t seem like much but since Damien spends most of his time at school to meet with his friends, it would be a huge issue if he can’t mess around at the school, even worse he might get proper punishment instead of the occasional detention he usually gets and that’s already boring as hell torture.

Damien couldn’t see Oz anywhere at the cafeteria which could mean he might as well be anywhere else in the school and there’s not a lot of time to track him down. This time Damien remembers that he can just text Oz and ask where his is.

 **Damien:** Where you at noob?

 **Shadow Noob Oz:** The library.

 **Damien:** Are you watching cat videos again?

 **Shadow Noob Oz:** *sigh* No.

 **Damien:** lol no need to sigh

 **Shadow Noob Oz:** Probably if you stop mentioning that.

 **Damien:** Nah, it’s too hilarious

 **Shadow Noob Oz:** I’m not sure how you find that hilarious but suit yourself. What did you want this time?

 **Damien:** I’ll tell you later

 **Damien:** OMW to the library

 **Shadow Noob Oz:** Okay.

Damien slammed the library door open that many turned to see him. There were a lot more students here than usual considering that it’s lunchtime, probably cramming for the upcoming midterms. Upon Damien’s entrance all of the monsters except the librarian ran out of the library figuring he would burn it down again today. Damien scanned the room and couldn’t see Oz anywhere even though it was practically empty now.

“Yo noob! Where are you!?” Damien shouted, earning him a glare from the librarian but they’re too afraid to shush him.

 _“I’m over at the reading corner.”_ Oz’s voice echoed in Damien’s mind.

Damien went to the reading corner only to find a ghost sitting there on the carpet reading a book. Weird, he though Polly was the only ghost at school, is this ghost a transfer student? Not important, now where the hell is Oz?

“Hey ghosty. Was a shadow guy around here?” Damien looked down at the ghost.

The ghost looked up at Damien with its deadpan expression, book still hovering in its ghostly hands. The ghost tilted and pointed at itself with its round stubby hand.

“Yeah, I’m talking to you. Do you see any other ghost around?” Damien said mockingly.

The ghost looked around then down at themselves. A loud sigh could be heard in Damien’s mind. That sounded like Oz but Damien couldn’t see him anywhere even after looking around again.

 _“It’s me Damien.”_ Oz’s voice sounds monotone.

Damien looked down at the ghost. “Oz? Is that you?”

_“Yes, it’s me.”_

A look of horrified shock appeared on Damien’s face when he realized it. “DID YOU DIE AND TURN INTO A GHOST!?” He shouted. That’s the only explanation on how this ghost is Oz. Damien’s heartbeat started to race from fear of the horrible realization.

The ghost that is Oz dropped the book he was holding and quickly hovered up. _“No! C-calm down! I’m not really a ghost!”_ He wobbled.

“Then how come you’re translucent with no expression!?” Damien wasn’t convinced and his heart was still beating fast.

The not-ghost that is Oz wobbled more erratically. _“Damien! This is a freaking blanket with two holes cut in it! Of course, you can’t see my expression and I’m not even translucent, it’s just white! You can touch the fabric!”_ He extended his ghostly arm towards Damien.

Damien gingerly poked the arm and it’s actually tangible. Then he grabbed the hand and it did feel like it was a blanket covering something. Feeling convinced and calmer for some reason, Damien let go of probably Oz’s hand.

“Fuck! You scared the shit out of me!” Damien growled at not-ghost-Oz.

 _“S-sorry! I didn’t mean to.”_ Not-ghost-Oz flapped the front part of the blanket. _“I thought you could tell it was me and not a ghost.”_ He said meekly.

Damien grabbed his chest and took deep breaths trying to calm his still slightly racing heartbeat. He’d be angrier if this was a prank but it seems like Oz didn’t mean to scare him. Still, that actually got him good that he’s too surprised to feel embarrassed for not seeing it was just a blanket. Taking a better look, it does appear to be a blanket with two holes cut in it but with Oz’s white eyes and black skin, it looks more like an actual ghost.

“Why the fuck are you wearing a blanket?” Damien tried to pull the blanket off of Oz out of frustration from being scared but he hovered away before Damien could grab it.

 _“Well... that… that’s not important.”_ Not-ghost-Oz fidgets.

Damien furrowed his brows. “You almost gave me a heart attack! Pull that thing off or tell me why you’re wearing it.” He lunged at Oz trying to pull the blanket off again but Oz dodged.

Damn, Damien forgot he’s super good at dodging. Damien was on the floor after Oz dodged him and looked up then blinked. It looked like Oz was actually hovering because Damien can’t see his feet on the ground as the blanket slightly flutters.

Damien got up looking confused. “A-are you sure you’re not a ghost? You don’t have any feet.” Maybe Oz is a ghost and he just doesn’t realize it.

 _“I’m not a ghost. I’m just using a levitation spell to make it look more convincing.”_ Not-ghost-Oz hovers left and right. _“Anyway, why were you looking for me?”_

“Nu-uh. We’re not dropping this ghost topic until you tell me why you’re pretending to be a ghost!” Damien stomped his foot as his tail swishes aggressively behind him.

Not-ghost-Oz fidgets again and after a while, he started to slowly hover away. Realizing what’s happening, Damien dashed to the door trying to block his exit, luckily Oz’s hovering was too slow. Oz changed course trying to head over to the window but Damien saw that and dashed towards the window next. Thinking Oz was too slow hovering like that, Damien tried to lunge at him again but Oz still dodged that.

“Just tell me already!” Damien yelled, already back up on his feet.

Not-ghost-Oz slowly started to hover away again and Damien was ready to run wherever he was headed for but this time it just seems like Oz was going back to the reading corner. The librarian thought Damien had gone crazy and was harassing a poor innocent ghost student so instead of helping the ghost, they left the library, pretending they didn’t see anything. When Damien got back to the reading corner, not-ghost-Oz was back to reading on the carpet as if nothing just happened.

As Damien got closer, not-ghost-Oz looked at him warily, fidgeting, ready to hover away at a moment’s notice. Damien has no idea why he just went back here if he’s going to be wary of him. Oz’s refusal to take the blanket off just made Damien want to pull on it even more since Oz wouldn’t tell why he’s pretending to be a ghost. Damien was sure Oz could easily get away if he stopped hovering and just walk but for some reason, he’s really keeping up the ghost act.

Damien scratched his head. “Calm down, I’m not gonna jump you anymore.” He really wanted to but Oz would just easily dodge him again.

 _“If you do, I swear I’m disappearing this time.”_ Oz said curtly.

Damien’s not sure if Oz could actually do that but he didn’t want to risk it if it’s true, he still needed help studying after all. Then Damien remembers how Oz disappeared after leaving the library last time. If Oz can disappear anytime he wants, Damien’s never going to find him if Oz goes into hiding. He slowly walked closer to Oz and sat beside him on the carpet. Not-ghost-Oz was still staring at him for a while before going back to reading his book.

Damien pulled one of his knees up to rest his head on as he looked that not-ghost-Oz. “C’mooooon, can’t you at least tell me why you’re pretending to be a ghost?” He whined this time.

Not-ghost-Oz turned to Damien and tilted, after a while he spoke up. _“O-only if you promise not to laugh.”_ He stuttered.

Damien sat up and raised a brow. “Why would I laugh?”

 _“I don’t know. You laughed at me watching cat videos for some reason.”_ Oz sounded petulant.

Recalling the event, Damien grinned. It wasn’t really that Oz watching cat videos that he found amusing, it’s just the lengths he’d go to do it at the time. “Well, I can’t really promise that I won’t laugh.”

_“Then forget about it.”_

“Woah, wait!” Damien couldn’t just let his curiosity die there if there’s a chance to know. “What if I promise I’ll hold in the laughter?” He said with an offering gesture.

Not-ghost-Oz when silent for a while. _“I guess… that’s fine.”_ He said in a low voice.

“Alright!” Damien cheered as he raised a hand close to his mouth, in case he does feel like laughing later. “Now tell me!”

Not-ghost-Oz let out a sigh. _“I’m in hiding.”_

Okay, that sounds simpler than Damien thought. “Uuuuh… hiding from who?”

 _“From **everyone** Damien. **Everyone.** ”_ Oz said rather dramatically in a firm low tone.

That… made no sense. “Um, you’re not hiding from me?” Damien said very confusedly.

 _“Okay, maybe not everyone but any student in school that doesn’t know me.”_ Oz said exasperated.

“Why?” Damien was still confused.

* * *

**Earlier That Day**

Oz stopped his gaming research around 3 AM on Monday figuring he’ll continue little by little during the coming weekdays since it’s the week before midterms so he’ll have more free time. He got caught up in some of the plots more than the dating aspects of the games which meant it didn’t help him in thinking of how to get a date but at least he had more fun than he expected.

Everyone that went out during Saturday night came back around noon on Sunday which is pretty normal during weekends but something was strange. For some reason everyone just texted they were back and that they’d leave Oz alone until Monday. Oz didn’t think too much on it at the time but that was definitely weird and Brian hasn’t entered the room even though they share it. He started to feel worried that something bad might have happened and he just didn’t realize it again.

When Oz entered the living room, he saw that everyone was sleeping soundly while the TV was left on running. Many snacks and drink containers were strewn around left haphazardly uncleaned. The sight instantly clamed Oz’s mind. Perhaps they were just giving him some space more than usual for whatever reason. Oz decided to do what he usually does when everyone is passed out in the living room and clean up. Amira and Vicky were on the beanbag chairs while Brian had fallen to the floor from the couch. He draped blankets over them and lifted Brian up on the couch then watched some random things on TV.

As dawn drew closer Vicky stirred awake by herself. She stretched her arms out with a yawn and looked around. Amira was sleeping on the other beanbag chair while Brian was on the couch sleeping on Oz’s lap… wait, Oz was out here already!

“Hey… Oz, how was your gaming session?” Vicky said with a smile.

Oz turned to look at Vicky. _“It was fun. You’re up pretty early, the sun isn’t up yet.”_

Vicky looked at the wall clock and it said 5:00 on it. “Oh, so it is.”

_“Do you want to go back to sleep?”_

“No, I think I fell asleep pretty early.” Vicky shook the sleepiness off her. “We should wake the others up too!” She shouted.

 _“W-why are you yelling?”_ Oz was startled by Vicky’s sudden rise in volume so early in the morning.

Ignoring Oz’s confusion, Vicky started to shake and tried to wake up her other two friends that were sleeping. Amira wasn’t too hard to wake up and seemed to have fully awaken when she saw Oz there. Brian was a bit harder to shake awake and Oz was worried that the girls were shaking him so hard that his head might fall off, he did wake up eventually. Oz has no idea why they wanted to wake up so early, is something going on?

When everyone was fully awake, they turned to Oz saying there was something they should let him know. Oz wasn’t sure what was going on but it sounded bad so he got nervous. Instead of saying anything, Vicky handed him her phone and told him to play the video. It was footage of Oz dancing with Polly during the rave, apparently someone recorded it and put it up online. When the video was over Vicky started to talk.

“So, ummm, how do you feel?” Vicky asked gingerly.

Oz didn’t respond for a while. “Yo, Oz, you okay there?” Amira waved her hand in front of Oz’s face. Still no reaction.

Brian gently shook Oz’s shoulder. “Oz?” Still no response.

“Oh, dear… maybe this was a bad idea.” Vicky said with a worried expression.

The 3 had debated on whether or not they should tell Oz that a video of him has gone viral. Oz had been more open lately but that doesn’t mean he won’t freak out if random monsters start greeting him at school, because Oz hates standing out. Brian told the girls how nervous he was before actually going to the rave which made them worry more on how Oz would react. The Oz they saw in the video seemed to be having fun and not minding what happened around them, so they decided that it might be best to at least tell him about it before things get out of hand.

Of course, Amira and Vicky actually really wanted to talk about Oz’s dancing with him and they can’t do that without showing him the video. Still, they can’t just spring it on him right away so they chose to tell him right before school started so that Oz can skip school entirely if he wanted to. Amira half expected for Oz to shrug it off like the time he had a meeting with Vera, if not he’ll shut himself up in his room. Vicky expected Oz to start freaking out and ask them what to do (Just skip school until it blows over was going to be her answer). Brian wasn’t sure what to expect anymore and didn’t really want to mention it at all then just skip school for a few days. None of them were expecting Oz to just… freeze kind of like what happened to Brian last Wednesday.

After a few moments of stillness, Oz finally said something. _“I… need to lie down.”_

Everyone let out a sigh of relief as Oz laid down on the couch with his head resting on Brian’s lap. Oz was still holding Vicky’s phone and watched the video again in silence. He saw the view count and scrolled through some of the comments, some were still new. After a while Oz handed Vicky her phone back which she took gingerly.

“So… are you okay?” Vicky asked.

 _“I don’t know.”_ Oz replied.

Oz wasn’t sure what he was feeling or what he was thinking for that matter. It wasn’t like his usual panic or negativity upon finding himself in an unexpected situation, he just didn’t know anymore. It felt like many conflicting emotions and thoughts had come up all at once that he couldn’t process them, which was what caused the initial frozen state he was in. He’s able to think again now but is still unsure of what to even think about.

Oz’s first thought was hard denial. This isn’t real, it’s not reality, he must have been kidnapped by the Interdimensional Prince somehow without his knowledge and ended up in a strange dimension. No, if that happened that would still make this some sort of reality which it can’t possibly be. But if this wasn’t reality then what was it? A dream? A hallucination? A nightmare? Hah, who needs nightmares when you can just think of every worse possible outcome. Yeah, this is still reality, apparently.

Suddenly Oz sat up, which startled everyone. Then he started pacing around the living room silently, thinking some more. He was furious. Who the FUCK thought it was a good idea to record strangers and post them on the internet without permission! There are laws about these kinds of things because of IDIOTS that don’t know what privacy means! Sure, it was at a public area but that doesn’t mean you can just do WHATEVER you want!

Oz stopped pacing and just stood still with his usual thinking pose. It’s not entirely the STUPID stranger’s fault for getting him on video, Oz did get swept up by Polly that night in more ways than one. Maybe if he was more alert this wouldn’t have happened in the first place. Maybe if he took Brian’s offer to not show up at all, Oz wouldn’t be in this predicament. Maybe if he just went to class like he was supposed to, none of this would have happened.

Oz felt flat, straight to the floor, there was some buzzing sounds around him. Why even bother with any of this. He should just go back to the void where things are simple. Oh, but if he does that his friends would be sad and it would be because of him. If only he didn’t involve himself with anyone then nobody would be disappointed because of him and now he’s becoming a burden. Maybe he always was and just doesn’t realize it. Oz can hear his friends trying to pull him up.

Oz pushed himself up from the floor and went to sit on the couch again. Okay, so maybe it’s not so bad. He doesn’t even know why he’s freaking out right now. Perhaps he can just go to school and nobody will notice him as always. He’s not particularly outstanding in anyway and he can still blend into the shadows if needed. Everything will be normal as normal can be at Spooky High and things will be fine. Oz pulled out his own phone and checked the video again… nope this isn’t real. He laid down on the couch.

Oz went through the same similar motions and thought process that it left his friends very worried and confused since he’s not saying anything out loud. It’s been going on for over 2 hours and they have no idea on what to do since they’ve never seen Oz act this way. For reason unknown even to himself, Oz was going through the 5 stages of grief on a loop. Vicky went to the kitchen to make breakfast and asked the other two to watch over Oz and tell her if something changes.

When it was almost 7, Oz walked towards their room and went into the washroom. A few moments later he came out and went into Amira and Vicky’s room.

 _“Vicky, I’m borrowing your jacket.”_ Oz said briefly as he got out and went back into the washroom.

After some time passed Oz got out using a blanket with two holes cut in it, appearing in the living room where all his friends were.

 _“Okay, I’m fine now.”_ Oz said confidently.

“Um, are you sure about that?” Amira looked at Oz skeptically.

_“W-well, not 100% but I can go to school now.”_

“You’re going to school?” Brian asked.

_“Yeah, it’s the week before midterms. Best not to skip it.”_

“It’s midterm next week!?” Amira stood up and looked shocked. Brian also looked shocked while Vicky didn’t react.

“I know, but that just means you have a week you can still skip. I’m sure you’re prepared enough for any test.” Vicky said to Oz.

_“Maybe, but I’m still going.”_

“Just don’t push yourself okay? You can go home if you’re not feeling up to it.” Vicky smiled.

Nobody commented on the blanket Oz was wearing and didn’t bring up the video again since he still wasn’t completely ready but at least he’s stopped doing whatever he was doing before. So, they all went to school with Oz who was wearing a blanket.

* * *

**Present Time**

_“I don’t like standing out.”_ Not-ghost-Oz said curtly. _“There, now you know why I’m wearing this blanket.”_ He stared at Damien who had furrowed his brows trying to think. _“Umm, thanks for not laughing. Are you going to tell me why you were looking for me now?”_

“Ah… not yet.” Damien was still confused. Hearing that, not-ghost-Oz went back to reading.

So, Oz is wearing a blanket pretending to be a ghost because he’s hiding. That did answer Damien’s question but it only gave him more questions now that he knows. Sure, Oz friends said he didn’t like crowded places but he can go to them like on Friday night. He didn’t pretend to be a ghost anytime last week so something must have happened. Oz says he doesn’t like standing out but it’s not like he’s all that noticeable in a crowd, if anything, him being a ghost is more noticeable since Polly is the only ghost at school.

“Why do you think you’ll stand out?”

 _“A video of me dancing got spread online.”_ Oz was being vague again.

“You mean the one where you and Polly were dancing at the rave that a group of monsters joined you?” Damien elaborated.

 _“Yes, that one.”_ Not-ghost-Oz covered his blank face with the book he was reading. _“So, even you’ve seen it.”_

“Dude! Why would you hide because of that? You were cool.” Damien patted not-ghost-Oz on the shoulder or at least he thinks so. It’s hard to tell when he’s just a blob of white.

Not-ghost-Oz closed the book and put it down. _“T-thanks? I… guess.”_

“Who cares if some random fuckos talk to you because of it?” Damien said in a carefree manner.

Not-ghost-Oz turned to Damien. _“I do. Unlike you I can’t handle being the center of attention.”_

Damien liked being the center of attention, good or bad. So, he doesn’t get what Oz meant about handling it but he obviously doesn’t like it. “Um, okay, but isn’t pretending to be a ghost a bit extreme?”

 _“I don’t think so.”_ Not-ghost-Oz tilted but sounded pretty sure of himself.

Damien pondered to choose his words carefully for once since it sounds like Oz was taking this really seriously for some reason. “I mean like, maybe you’re being too narcissistic and nobody’s actually going to talk to you about it? So, you don’t have to hide and pretend to be a ghost.” Sure, the video was rad but it’s not like randos will suddenly approach you because of it. Damien was more infamous than famous that others run from him more often than approach him.

Not-ghost-Oz let out a self-deprecating laugh. _“I wish that was true. Then I wouldn’t be so stressed.”_

“How can you tell?” Damien raised a brow.

 _“Because I can hear them.”_ Not-ghost-Oz said ominously.

“Hear what?”

Not-ghost-Oz got closer to Damien’s face and looked him dead in the eyes. _“The chatter and gossip of those around me, looking for the mysterious shadow guy that danced with Polly Geist the party ghost. Wondering if he’s actually a student at Spooky High or of they’ve seen them somewhere before.”_ He whispered in Damien’s mind for some reason and inched a bit closer. _“What do you think they’re like? Do you think they’re a wild party animal? Do you think he’s Polly’s boytoy? I think I’ve seen him at PE once. Isn’t he the guy that shouted at Damien? Maybe he’s just some random loser Polly picked off the street and was drunk enough to be entertaining. The chattering just doesn’t end and I wish that was the paranoia speaking but I can clearly hear them and it’s annoying!”_ Oz whisper spat the last few words before finally retreating and sat back where he was leaning on the wall. _“I think the upcoming midterms actually softened the wave of gossip but it’s still a lot. I just hope this blows over soon.”_ Oz said exasperatedly. He picked his book back up to read.

Oz had said more than he intended to due to the pent-up stress from hearing all of the gossip. He was being paranoid at first so he became hypervigilant to those around him and tried to listen to things he usually avoids because he doesn’t like eavesdropping. His fears were then validated, it did nothing more than increase his frustration. Even as he was reading in the library, the chatter didn’t end while he tried to ignore it, until a certain prince of hell entered the room making everyone leave. Now that he has some peace and quiet back, he wants to savor it before it becomes noisy again.

Damien still hasn’t told Oz why he was looking for him but Oz had two possible guesses. Either he wants help studying for midterms or he wanted to play Pokeman, Oz isn’t certain which it is since Damien got distracted by him being a ghost. Not that he intended to look like a real ghost, the blanket just fully hid him and floating around is fun to lighten up his dampen mood. Their little cat and mouse chase around the library did cheer him up a bit, even if Damien trying to pull of the blanket was not ideal, not that he’ll be able to.

Damien was stunned from hearing Oz’s rambling whispers. He wasn’t sure why but the way Oz said everything made it sound really scary, especially with him staring straight into Damien’s eyes as if it was looking into his very soul. The words Oz was saying didn’t actually sound like a big deal for all this trouble when it just sounds like usual high school gossip and Damien couldn’t care less about what random fuckdoors say.

Damien managed to snap out of it and ask the next thing that came to mind. “So, uh, you heard all that?”

_“Yes.”_

“Why not just skip school?”

_“That’s… complicated.”_

Damien could barely understand Oz’s normal explanations let alone complicated ones. All he’s gathered is that Oz didn’t want anyone knowing he was there more than usual. The thought that Oz didn’t mind Damien finding him, despite whatever’s going on with him, gave Damien a fuzzy feeling that he can’t describe. It’s still annoying that he can’t see Oz’s face since it’s covered with the blanket.

“Want me to burn the school down for you?” Damien blurted out, thinking it might solve whatever the problem was. On second thought Oz might hate that idea since he wasn’t even keen on burning down the library.

Not-ghost-Oz turned to Damien and tilted, after a while they spoke up. _“Ummm… that’s… nice of you to offer but I’d prefer if you didn’t do that.”_

Well, that’s a first. Someone saying it was nice that he suggested arson even if he did decline. Arson is a no go so Damien has no idea what to do next. Oz has done nothing but help him out the past week and Damien has yet to help him out in return. All of his plans to do so either failed or backfired. Oz seems really troubled now so there’s no way Damien can ask for his help to study and add more trouble for him.

Damien rubbed the back of his neck. “So… anything I can help with?”

 _“… No? Didn’t you come here looking for me to help you with something?”_ He sounded confused.

Well, yeah that was Damien’s original intention. “Nah, just thought we could hang out.” A simple lie.

Not-ghost-Oz put the book he was holding down. _“Okay… now what?”_

“Uuuuh…” Damien was expecting Oz to say he was busy. “Aren’t you busy?” He pointed at the book Oz has been reading on the floor. Now that he thinks about it, Oz is probably studying for the midterms and Damien is just bothering him. Just great.

Not-ghost-Oz wobbled, probably shrugging. _“It’s just a novel. Do you want to play Pokeman?”_ He pulled out a GameBoy.

“You can play with that blanket on?”

 _“It’s just a blanket, not a restricting costume. I can press buttons just fine.”_ Not-ghost-Oz demonstrated that he can indeed press buttons.

Damien and Oz spent the rest of lunch playing Pokeman. They did some battles which Oz mostly won because of how unhealthy all of Damien’s Pokemans were. Aside from doing battles they showed off and traded some of their Pokemans, Damien wanted all of Oz’s criminal type Pokemans for some reason. Oz had to gently refuse some of the trades because he didn’t have clones of some of the rare criminal types and just told Damien where he can possibly find them in the game.

Oz was grateful for the distraction from his currently chaotic predicament that he didn’t even realize some students have entered the library. Oz isn’t sure why Damien would want to hang out with him just to play Pokeman when he usually does that with Scott. In fact, Damien has been approaching Oz a lot now that he thinks about it. Every text conversation has been initiated by Damien and while most of their encounters are due to classes and coincidence, he did try to prolong them for some reason. Damien was also genuinely scare thinking Oz somehow died and turned into a ghost.

Not-ghost-Oz looked at the demon. _“Damien.”_

“Yeah?” Damien was trying to trigger an encounter with a rare criminal Pokeman.

_“Are we friends?”_

Damien looked up to not-ghost-Oz. “Of course, we are. Why else would I hang out with you? Got a problem with that?” He said plainly, hoping that Oz doesn’t think otherwise.

 _“It’s not a problem but…”_ Oz trailed off.

“But?” Damien raised a brow.

Not-ghost-Oz tilted. _“You never call me by my name. So, I assumed we’re just regular classmates.”_

“Do you just text with regular classmates for hours?” Damien was baffled. Would Oz actually do that just to indulge a random classmate?

 _“No one else has tried but I would if I wasn’t busy.”_ Oz said as if it was the most natural thing to do. _“I did say I don’t talk to many monsters so that was rare.”_

The thought that Oz would do that with just anyone made Damien feel irritated for some reason. “You’ve never complained about me calling you noob before.”

_“Because I doubt you’d stop calling me that if we’re just classmates.”_

“What? So, you don’t think we’re friends if I keep calling you noob?”

Not-ghost-Oz was silent for a while. _“Yes.”_

“Fine, I’ll call you Oz from now on. We’re friends, got it?”

 _“Not really.”_ Oz said monotone.

“What the fuck!?” Damien yelled. Did Oz dislike Damien that much?

Not-ghost-Oz giggled and the blanket seems to shiver. _“Just kidding. I get it, we’re friends.”_ He said cheerfully.

The heat rushed to Damien’s cheeks as he looked away. He keeps falling for Oz’s pretend mad act since it’s no different from his actual mad demeanor. At least it sounds like Oz was more cheerful than he was earlier if he’s able to joke around. Oz had sounded really irritated and monotone more than usual as far as Damien can recall. So, Damien can count this as him cheering Oz up, right? The bell rang and Oz let out an audible sigh. Damien and not-ghost-Oz headed towards their next class together.

Damien watched not-ghost-Oz hover next to him. “Are you seriously going to keep that on, even in class?”

 _“Of course, not. That would be ridiculous and the teacher won’t recognize me.”_ Oz said nonchalantly.

Damien stopped walking. “Why didn’t you say that earlier!?” He threw his hands in the air.

Not-ghost-Oz turned around. _“Well… you seemed pretty eager to pull it off yourself. So, I didn’t think it was worth mentioning.”_ He turned back around and continued to hover forward. _“Come on, we’ll be late.”_

Damien groaned as he pinched the bridge of his nose before running to catch up with the slowly hovering not-ghost-Oz. Damien thought about asking why even bother with the blanket if he’s not going to use it during class which is like most of school if you go to all of them but decided not to, thinking it’s another one of Oz’s complicated reasons he wouldn’t understand.

When they got into the classroom some students were already there. Not-ghost-Oz took the back-corner desk that was empty. The desk next to Oz was taken so Damien ~~threatened~~ punched the goblin that was already there and he scurried off to one of the front desks. Not-ghost-Oz shook his head but didn’t say anything. Anyone sitting close to the corner moved at least 2 desks away and avoided looking at that general direction. Damien kept staring at not-ghost-Oz ever since he sat down.

“Soooo, you’re really going to take that blanket off?” Damien leaned on his desk with his arm.

_“I said I was.”_

“Then why aren’t you?”

Not-ghost-Oz turned to Damien. _“B-because you keep staring at me!”_

“What? It’s not like you’re nude under there.” Damien teased with a smirk.

 _“Of course, not! Why would I do that!?”_ Not-ghost-Oz flapped his arms.

“Then just take it off already. It’s not like anyone else is actually paying attention.”

Not-ghost-Oz scanned around the room and no one was looking at their direction so they won’t see Oz ‘transform’ from a ghost. _“Fine.”_ He huffed. Oz threw off the blanket towards Damien.

Damien’s vision was obscured by the blanket covering him. Man, Oz was being super dramatic for just pulling off a blanket. Pulling of the blanket off his head Damien protested. “Hey! What was Th-.” He stopped mid-sentence, feeling his heart skip a beat or possibly a heart attack from too many surprises today. Damien hasn’t actually seen Oz all day since he kept wearing the blanket. So, he expected Oz to be wearing his usual yellow cardigan.

Oz was wearing one of Vicky’s blue jackets on top of his long-sleeved dress-shirt that he didn’t roll up today so it covered his entire arm. Aside from the slightly different looking clothes, Oz also combed his hair so it wasn’t sticking out aside from one on the side. Then as a finishing touch, he wore fake half-rimmed rectangular glasses that he happens to have lying around in the void. Oz couldn’t really use his stealth-mode with a viral video of him around so he changed his most recognizable features, which is basically just his clothes but he slightly changed his hair with an added accessory just in case. The blanket was the perfect cover but he can’t really use that in class if he wants the teacher to notice him.

Oz took the blanket which Damien was holding as he was stunned with his mouth agape. _“Damien? Are you alright?”_

Damien snapped out of his daze. “Uh, yeah… you… look different.”

 _“Oh, um, d-does it look weird?”_ Oz stuttered and looked at himself.

Damien covered his mouth. “N-no, you look good.”

Oz let out a sigh of relief. _“Thank goodness. I wasn’t really sure since nobody’s seen me wearing this yet.”_ He smiled with his eyes behind those fake glasses.

Damien wasn’t really listening, he was busy checking Oz out. Oz looked… nerdier than usual but it wasn’t a bad look for him, in fact it really suited him. Not that Oz didn’t look good in his usual clothes, they also suited him well and the yellow makes a good contrast to his black skin to stand out more. Did he always look so cute? (yes) Well, he’s also pretty cool even if you couldn’t tell at a glance.

Soon, the teacher came in, so Oz paid attention to class as they explained what to expect on the upcoming test. Damien was busy thinking to himself and taking glances at Oz as who took notes on whatever the teacher was saying. The teacher called Damien out to answer a question which he obviously didn’t know the answer to but before he could protest, Oz told him the answer and everyone in class was shocked thinking Damien somehow knew the answer. The class went into a frenzy thinking it was the end of the world so it ended early.

Damien and Oz were left alone in the classroom. “You sure that was a good idea? I thought you liked class.” Damien gave a questioning glance towards Oz.

 _“It really depends on the class.”_ Oz shrugged. _“I’ve had enough of this one for today.”_ He sounds exasperated. It seems like Oz is back into a bad mood.

“Did you hear more chattering or what ever it was you said back at the library?” Damien asked. A lot of the students were whispering to each other, as long as they weren’t loud the teacher just ignored them.

Oz stayed silent for a while then slumped over his desk. _“Yeah…”_ He said in a tired voice.

Damien wasn’t sure what to say. “Need me to punch someone for you?” Was the best he could come up with.

Oz let out a chuckle. _“No, that won’t be necessary.”_ He sat back up and looked out the window. _“Do you think I’m overreacting?”_ He said wistfully.

“Yes.” Damien blurted out without thinking. Shit, that was probably a bad answer although it is what he actually thought. Oz was silent again for a while as Damien was starting to panic thinking maybe he was too blunt.

 _“Hmmm…”_ Oz turned to look at Damien. _“Says the guy who burned books just because he was frustrated from studying.”_

“That was just one time!” No, it wasn’t.

 _“Sure, it was.”_ Oz said sarcastically. He picked up his notebook that was on the desk and placed it on Damien’s desk. _“Try to work these out, then I’ll check it once you’re done.”_

Damien took a look at the notebook, it had questions on them. “What the fuck is this?” He turned to Oz with a quizzical look.

_“Practice questions to get ready for next week’s test.”_

“Why?”

_“Because we’re still in class and I’m helping you study.”_

“I don’t remember asking you for help.”

 _“Then I guess I’ll just go back into hiding until the next class starts.”_ Oz pulled out his blanket.

“Ugh, fine! Lend me a pencil.”

Damien spent the rest of the class actually studying while Oz helped him out. Oz thought it was the best use of both their times and figured that Damien wouldn’t actually ask for help studying until it was crunch time which would be hard to do if Oz doesn’t know how well he can absorb knowledge. He wasn’t sure if Damien would agree to it but things went surprisingly well. It was just his way of saying thanks for scaring everyone away without actually saying it, because sometimes words just aren’t enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song Heart Attack by Demi Lovato popped up in my mind as I was writing this, hence why I used it for the chapter title XD Oddly fits Damien minus the girl part.


	20. Rage and Terror

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Half the school is destroyed and the color crew checks up on how Oz is doing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took some time to write because I was having an Oz identity crisis by mixing up my headcanon for this fic with other fics of Oz I've been reading XD  
> Then I played some Monster Camp and nothing needs to make sense lol

After Oz parted ways from Damien hovering away to whatever class he has next, Damien went on a rampage, starting with setting the class they were in on fire. He punched any random monster he could see on sight and set fire everywhere, it was a lot of chaos that half the school was a mess. The cops were called and Damien was taken away… then he burned the police station that was holding him down as he escaped and caused more fires in town.

News of Damien’s bad mood spread out faster than the fires he caused among the students as a warning not to get anywhere near him anytime soon during the upcoming exam week. Oz wondered if their short study session might have been a bit much for Damien and is what’s causing all this but it’s not exactly new behavior for the angry demon prince. If it was the studying, Oz figured that Damien would have lit his notebook on fire so that probably isn’t the cause and he’s just angry about something. Still, he hopes Damien wasn’t in such a blind rage that his friends got caught up in it.

* * *

**_Color Crew Group Chat_ **

**Oz:** Is everyone okay? I’m hearing that a lot of chaos is happening.

 **Vicky:** Well, Damien set my class on fire but otherwise I’m okay.

 **Brian:** Same

 **Vicky:** You too Brian?

 **Brian:** The class was in flames when I woke up

 **Vicky:** YOU WERE SLEEPING DURING THE FIRE?

 **Brian:** Yeah

 **Oz:** ARE YOU ALRIGHT?

 **Brian:** I’m fine, I was out of the classroom

 **Amira:** You were sleeping outside?

 **Brian:** No, I think someone dragged me out and just left me there

 **Vicky:** Weird. Don’t sleep through fire, Brian!

 **Brian:** I’ll try

 **Vicky:** What about you Amira? Did anything happen?

 **Amira:** I’m in the bathrooms and everyone is scrambling to get some water

 **Amira:** I did hear that the auditorium and kitchen blew up

 **Vicky:** THE AUDITORIUM?

 **Brian:** Why the kitchen?

 **Amira:** Who knows

 **Amira:** Demon boy must be extra pissy to set empty places on fire

 **Brian:** Oz, you okay?

 **Vicky:** Oh yeah, you didn’t say if anything happened to your class.

 **Vicky:** Or are you skipping?

 **Oz:** No, I’m in class now and nothing is happening. Everyone is being noisy though because of all the fires. I heard that some of the classrooms were set on fire along with some students being beaten up or set ablaze so I was worried.

 **Vicky:** It’s chaos alright. You’re lucky your class didn’t get hit. I didn’t get the exam outline because of it! T^T

 **Amira:** Who cares about that? UR smart enough to get by without an outline

 **Vicky:** I still want to be prepared!

 **Oz:** Vicky can’t help you if she doesn’t have an outline. Guess we’ll all have to learn every chapter of whatever subject Vicky missed out on.

 **Vicky:** Yes! That’s a great idea Oz!

 **Vicky:** We can review everything from scratch and remember everything we’ve learned this semester. FOR EVERY SUBJECT!

 **Amira:** shit!

 **Brian:** D:

 **Brian:** Oz, can’t you do something?

 **Amira:** Yeah! Stop Vicky from her study madness!

 **Vicky:** NO ONE CAN STOP ME! MWAHAHAHA!

 **Oz:** IDK I’m sure an outline would still be useful to help teach Scott. He does better when you stay on specific topics.

 **Vicky:** OMG you’re right! What am I supposed to do now? This is a disaster!

 **Brian:** All the fire doesn’t count as a disaster?

 **Vicky:** Psh, that’s just a natural phenomenon like rain. Have you been to Spooky High?

 **Brian:** Point taken

 **Amira:** Why are we even talking about exams now? -_-

 **Vicky:** Do you want to fail?

 **Amira:** Oz help!

 **Oz:** Just ask for the outline at the teacher’s lounge. I’m sure “The class was set on fire” is a valid reason.

 **Vicky:** Wow! I didn’t think of that. Thanks Oz.

 **Brian:** Oh, looks like they caught Damien

 **Vicky:** Finally! Now I just need to find a place that isn’t burnt up.

 **Amira:** The bathrooms clear

 **Vicky:** I’m not waiting in a crowded bathroom. You said people were getting water there.

 **Amira:** Yeah, I had to walk out so they don’t spill some on me

 **Oz:** Where are you guys?

 **Vicky:** I’m outside near the party tree, that’s also on fire T^T

 **Brian:** Just walking around the hallway that’s not completely on fire

 **Brian:** There’s a lot of unconscious bodies lying around

 **Vicky:** Some are running around on fire

 **Amira:** Do you think the gym is safe?

 **Oz:** No. I’m hearing that it’s also on fire.

 **Vicky:** Oz I’m heading to your class!

 **Brian:** Guess I’ll head there too

 **Oz:** What? Why? Class is technically still going here.

 **Vicky:** IT’S NOT ON FIRE!

 **Amira:** I’m going too

 **Amira:** It’s getting crowded here

 **Oz:** Well, some did run off when the sound of fire alarms could be heard so only half of the class is left.

 **Vicky:** Perfect! I’m going to get that outline first. See you guys there!

To be fair, Damien going on a rampage is a fairly standard occurrence so nobody thought it was weird. Although it’s usually just arson when it comes to fucking up the majority of the school, today it was arson and violence, he also managed to damage the school more than usual before getting caught which was quite the record considering he only started during last period.

With half of the school in flames the group of friends wondered how Oz was doing. It seems like he’s mostly fine so they wanted to check up on him. It’s not that they’re worried that the mayhem scared Oz, an incident like this with everyone running for their lives should have cheered him up since now he knows his friends are fine.

* * *

Already wandering around the halls, Brian was the first to reach the classroom Oz was in. Looking around, it’s as if no fire even got close to the hallway near the classroom which was weird. With how much fire was everywhere else, Brian figured that Damien would burn ALL the classrooms. As Brian opened the classroom door, he searched for a white blob that should be Oz but couldn’t see him. Taking a better look, Oz was there without a blanket and wearing one of Vicky’s jacket. The teacher was just playing with their phone not really teaching anything, already giving the students some assignment.

Brian took a seat next to Oz. “What happened to the blanket?”

 _“I’m wearing it outside of class.”_ Oz turned to Brian. _“Are things outside as bad as they sound?”_

“Pretty much.” Brian looked around the class. “Although this area seems pretty untouched by all the fire somehow.”

 _“Yeah, somehow.”_ Oz seems to ponder. _“I heard the library is fine too.”_

“Seriously?” Brian leaned back on his seat. “It sure is a strange day.”

 _“You can say that again.”_ Oz let out a sigh. _“It’s turning out better than I expected, though.”_

“Feeling better?”

_“Yeah. Sorry for freaking out this morning.”_

“It’s fine. We did kind of spring it on you without warning.”

_“I’d like to ask how it happened but I guess we should wait for the girls first.”_

“Sure. By the way…” Brian stared at Oz’s face. “Are those actual glasses?”

Oz rarely changed outfits and all of his clothes are some shade of yellow or white but it’s not like he’s never worn anything else. Though it was the first time Brian saw Oz wearing glasses.

 _“Nope.”_ Oz pushed up his glasses by the bridge like anime characters do. _“Just some fancy fake glasses.”_ He posed.

Soon Amira and Vicky arrived at the same time. They bumped into each other as they wandered around the unburned hallway.

“Oh my gosh Oz, you look great!” Vicky said as soon as she sat down and saw Oz clearly. “How come you never changed your hair before?” She tilted.

_“Because I don’t need to.”_

“You should comb it more often.” Vicky took a pic and showed it to Oz. “See? It looks great!”

“Meh, I think I like his usual hair more. This looks too preppy.” Amira said.

“I think either looks fine.” Brian said.

_“I’m not changing my hairstyle. Once I’m sure things have blown over, I’m going back to my usual style.”_

“Aww, that’s too bad.” Vicky pouted. “Anyway!” She perked up again and looked around. “It really is free of fire here.”

Oz turned to Vicky. _“How did yours catch on fire?”_

“Damien suddenly burst into the room and threw a Molotov cocktail or something!” Vicky raised her hands in the air. “Then he started punching anyone that didn’t catch on fire.”

“Woah, that sound more dramatic than usual.” Amira’s eyes widen. “How’d you get out?”

“Uuuuh…” Vicky tried to recall what happened. “Huh, I kind of ran out when Damien left after knocking out everyone else.”

“Wait, he just ignored you?” Amira raised a brow.

“I guess so.” Vicky stroked her chin. “I’m pretty sure we made eye contact for a second and he looked really pissed off.”

_“Did he… say anything?”_

“Nope, just grunts and such.” Vicky turned to Oz. “Why? Do you know something.”

 _“Not really.”_ Oz shook his head. _“He was just normal when I left him. We had the same class last period.”_

“And by normal you mean?” Brian gave a quizzical look.

_“Well, he wasn’t angry at least.”_

“Guess someone must have pissed him off after that then.” Amira shrugged.

_“Maybe. Anyway…”_

Oz asked about how his friends found that video of him online which led to them talking about their Saturday night bowling. Amira just had to add the part about DEATHBOWLING since she thought it was too epic to leave out. After hearing everything Oz let out a sigh.

 _“I’m so glad I didn’t go.”_ Oz said relieved. _“That was really close.”_

“Not like you would’ve taken Polly’s invite even if you didn’t have plans.” Amira patted Oz’s shoulder.

_“No, I’m not talking about Polly’s invite.”_

“You’re not?” Vicky tilted. “Did someone else invite you?”

_“Yeah.”_

“Wow, you sure got popular fast.” Amira said teasingly. “So, who else invited you?”

Oz fiddled with his glasses. _“Damien did. He was really persistent that I might have went if I didn’t plan on staying home.”_

Everyone didn’t seem all that surprised by the answer. It’s no secret that Damien has been asking around about Oz the past week. They aren’t sure how much interaction the two had but Oz hasn’t really mentioned Damien aside from the small mention of them exchanging numbers and that one time they had lunch together.

“How persistent?” Amira asked.

Oz glanced at Vicky. _“Almost Vicky levels if not the same.”_

Amira and Brian turn to Vicky. “That’s… a lot.” Brian said.

“What? You just have to keep pushing sometimes!” Vicky sounds offended.

_“It’s not so bad.”_

“See? Oz gets it!” Vicky grinned.

“He’s just too tolerant.” Amira shakes her head then turned to Oz. “So, does that mean you and Damien are friends now?”

Oz gave a nod. _“Yes. At least I’ve confirmed that’s the case.”_

“You… straight up asked him if you were friends, didn’t you?” Brian asked. Oz nodded. “And he said yes?”

_“Pretty much.”_

Vicky’s eyes lit up. “Congrats on getting a new friend Oz!” She gave him a double high five which Oz received gently.

“Well, his new friend practically burned down half the school just now.” Amira pointed out.

“Oh, yeah.” Vicky looks like she just remembered. “Should we do something? Damien did just get caught by the cops.”

“He’ll be fine. This isn’t the first time it happened.” Brian said dismissively.

 _“Yeah, I don’t think we should do anything.”_ Oz said nonchalantly.

“Good, because I ain’t bailing his ass out of jail everytime he gets caught. Which is way too often.” Amira leaned back and crossed her arms. “What’d you do to attract angry hell boy’s attention anyway? He’s not exactly ‘friendly’.”

 _“I’m not sure.”_ Oz tilted. _“I don’t recall doing anything special.”_ His friends exchanged knowing glances at each other for some reason.

“Um, well, what have you been doing with him?” Vicky asked curiously.

Oz pondered for a while. _“Mostly just chat.”_

The siren of fire trucks could be heard and everyone looked out the window. They wonder if Oz is even talking about the same Damien. Well, as long as Oz doesn’t seem bothered by it, they’ll leave it alone for now. Seeing that Oz is mostly acting like his usual self, Vicky decided to change the topic.

“Soooo, I didn’t know you could dance.” Vicky had a wide smile on her face.

 _“I can’t”_ Oz said bluntly.

“Don’t be like that, you were cool.” Vicky placed a hand on Oz’s shoulder.

Oz let the embarrassment seep back in after ignoring it in favor of feeling frustrated all day, he covered his face with his hands. _“Why does everyone keep saying that.”_ He whined.

“Dude, even Polly said you got moves.” Amira adds. “She was practically showing you off to everyone.”

Oz groaned at the mention of him being actively spread, he slumped over his desk. It still doesn’t feel real, he expected to feel worse but being watched though a video felt less nerve-wrecking than he thought. Maybe it’s because it isn’t in real-time and he doesn’t feel the stares. It’s still pretty annoying though. Thankfully Damien’s rampage has taken most of the attention away from gossipers, focusing more on a literal hot topic.

“Ummm… is it too soon?” Vicky’s voice falters.

 _“Maybe.”_ Oz sat back up. _“I’m just… finding it hard to process everything.”_ He rested his head on his hand. _“Like, why did others start following me and Polly when we tried to copy a tap dancing choreography? Aren’t they usually just disorganized dancing? It shouldn’t have caught on since it doesn’t stand out as much as it should without hardwood floors and proper tap shoes. I think the tapping noise is what makes it better but with only dirt on the ground, none of the steps had the same charm to them…”_

Oz continued to ramble for some time about technicalities and such which turned into a discussion about party dancing with Amira and Vicky while Brian nodded off. When school was over Amira and Vicky had things to do so they parted ways. Brian didn’t have any football practice because of midterms and Oz just does whatever after school all the time.

“Wanna head back?” Brian yawned. “Or do you wanna do something?”

Oz is browsing on his phone. _“Hmmm… there’s a carnival at a nearby town.”_

“A carnival?” Brian raised a brow.

 _“They have a terribly reviewed haunted house as their main attraction.”_ Oz showed his phone to Brian. _“Can we go?”_

Brian looked at the phone which showed a map on how to get there, he furrowed his brows. “It’s pretty far.”

 _“You don’t want to?”_ Oz tilted.

“Not really, no.” Brian shook his head. “It’s far and it’ll be noisy there. I’ve heard enough screaming for today. You can go without me.” He figured it would be faster for Oz to go alone through the shadows than bring him along. Oz mostly goes on his haunts alone anyway.

 _“I don’t really feel like going alone that far right now.”_ Oz pocketed his phone. _“Maybe some other time if the others aren’t busy.”_ He looked down sounding disappointed.

“Oh, uh, well… is there something else you want do?”

 _“No. Let’s just go home.”_ Oz said tiredly as he put on his blanket then started to hover towards the door.

“Wait, I changed my mind.” Brian got up and caught up with blanket-Oz. “Let’s go to that carnival.”

 _“B-but you said-.”_ Brian slung his arm around blanket-Oz and pulled them along as they continue to walk.

“I know what I said and now I’m saying I want to go.”

_“W-we don’t really have to go. It was a dumb idea anyway.”_

“Did you change your mind too?”

_“…. No.”_

“Then we’re going.”

_“It’ll take over an hour to get there.”_

“Not an issue.”

_“It’s a week day and you need to prepare for midterms.”_

Brian stopped walking and flicked blanket-Oz’s forehead with his free hand for that very poor excuse. “We’re going.” He bluntly stated before continuing to walk.

Oz stopped making excuses and got in a car with Brian to go to the carnival he mentioned. If Oz was going with either Amira or Vicky, he would have just teleported there with them through the shadows because of how far it was but due to Brian’s Achluphobia that wasn’t really an option. Oz doesn’t drive and rarely used public transportation so that leaves Brian to drive (a random car as usual). It made Oz feel a bit guilty since he knew this was how it would turn out if they went together, of course Brian realizes this when blanket-Oz wouldn’t stop staring at him from the passenger seat.

“It’s fine.” Brian spoke up. “Not like I had anything better to do anyway.”

_“Thanks.”_

“I thought you would’ve learned to be a bit more selfish by now.”

_“I can be selfish.”_

“Mhmm… Then, what would you say if I said I’d rather go home now?”

 _“That’s fine.”_ There’s a long pause before Oz realized what just happened. _“Oh. W-well I can say no?”_

“That’s not really the same thing and you compromise most of the time.”

_“That… might be true.”_

“It is.” Brian let out a small sigh. “Look, it’s not a bad thing but you can be overly selfless sometimes to the point that it’s disconcerting.” Oz was about to say something but Brian continued. “And no, it’s not nothing. You say you’re just helping because it’s no problem for you and while that might be true it’s still a big deal for us. With you talking to other monsters, it makes me worried. I know you’re not gullible but that doesn’t mean others can’t take advantage of your kindness. Just… try to think about what you want first every once in a while, before thinking what other people need.”

Oz took in what Brian said and tried to process it. He didn’t think he was all that selfless, although that’s probably why Brian is telling him this. If it was just between his small group of friends it wouldn’t really be an issue since they knew how Oz was but it’s true that he’d think of what’s best for those acquainted to him before trying to align it with his own interests if there were any.

Oz recalled how confused he made his friends during the earlier days of their life when he started. Brian kept telling him about things that should be common sense. Vicky kept making wild theories on what Oz was that it included aliens at some point. Amira just found him really weird and dragged him to do various things when he said he’s never done them, of course with Brain and Vicky along because Vicky doesn’t want to be left out and Brian has to make sure they don’t kill themselves doing something reckless.

Compared to back then, Oz thinks he’s vastly improved on his social skills even if it’s still very low. Things haven’t gone horribly wrong or awkward with most of his new encounters and nobody has pointed out that what he was doing was weird aside from Damien on a few occasions but even then, Oz was aware of why he could be seen as weird. So, in general Oz was doing great by his standards even if it ended with him having a total freak out this morning.

“Um, Oz? I know you’re thinking right now and that’s great since I started it but if we don’t talk about something, I’m gonna fall asleep because of all this perfectly safe driving, then we’ll crash.”

 _“Oh, uh, sorry.”_ Oz turned to Brian who seems to be squinting his eyes at the road. _“Anything in particular you have in mind?”_

“Tell me why we’re specifically going to a carnival out of town for it’s horribly reviewed haunted house.”

Oz giggled. _“We’re doing charity work.”_

Oz wanted to sneak into the haunted house to scare the visitors as a ghost, not because he needed to or anything, Oz just felt like scaring random monsters as a ghost for fun. What better place to spook others than in a place where they expect it but not really because of its terrible reviews. Brian had to lure some unsuspecting customers to actually go to the haunted house before things could actually start rolling. Easily enough with propaganda and lies which included saying the ghost of some popular actor was haunting the place.

Once visitors started entering the haunted house, they left running and screaming for their lives which attracted more customers to enter. Oz scared so many monsters that the reviews of the place flipped when he was done scaring the hell out of anyone who entered. It will obviously drop again later on but just for the night it was truly a main horror attraction. Brian went off to try some of the carnival food once his part was done and amusedly watch everyone running out of the haunted house. They played some of the carnival games before heading back, Oz didn’t take off the blanket until they got back home.

* * *

It was around 3 AM in the morning and Damien is rolling around in his bed. Earlier that day he felt really happy and angry at himself which equals being super pissed off and lashing out on others. Oz was officially his friend now so of course he’s happy, not that Damien would show it in any obvious way. But then when they parted ways, he realized something.

Oz was clearly having a crappy day and while Damien intended to somehow help him, it ended the way it always does. Without Damien asking to, Oz ended up helping him AGAIN, even though Damien had specifically tried to hide the fact he did need help studying. And after all that, Damien burned down half the school along with punching random students after Oz said he shouldn’t do that. Or at least Damien thinks Oz said he shouldn’t, Oz always talked too fucking politely even when he’s pissed so it’s hard to tell.

Not long after Damien came home, his dads reminded him about the upcoming midterms and offered to hire a tutor for him. Not wanting to waste his time with some random stranger that thinks their smarter than him, Damien refused and said he could handle himself just fine, which was a lie since he hasn’t even asked Oz to help yet. Oz might have helped him study earlier but Damien is going to need a lot more if he wants to have a chance of passing midterms.

Damien could either ask Liam or Vera for help but unlike Oz they are absolutely going to make fun of him or be super condescending about it, also cost a lot for asking Vera. Every other option is just so horrendously unappealing and he’d rather fail trying than ask for help. His little test practice with Oz wasn’t as bad as he thought it would be. Whenever Damien got stuck on a question, Oz would explain what he should do in a way even he could understand. He feels like he could actually make it past midterms if Oz tutored him but… would he even want to help Damien that much?

Damien stopped rolling around and pulled out his phone, staring at an empty screen as he laid there. Maybe he could check if Oz is actually mad or not. He’s been proven wrong with most of his assumptions about Oz and even with info, he keeps surprising Damien. If Oz is mad, he’ll just have to apologize and make it up to him somehow. With that in mind Damien fiddled with his phone thinking on how to start. It’s late or early and Damien isn’t sure Oz isn’t mad so he just sent a simple starting text.

 **Damien:** Oz?

 **Oz:** BOO!

 **Damien:** usinchd

 **Damien:** WTF!!!

 **Oz:** Guess I got you lol

 **Damien:** WTH was that for!?

 **Oz:** IDK. Feeling ghosty XP

 **Damien:** It’s fucking 3AM! Don’t you ever sleep?

 **Oz:** No and you’re the one that texted me.

 **Damien:** Really? You don’t sleep?

 **Oz:** Yep. Don’t you need to sleep, though?

 **Damien:** I’ll sleep whenever I damn well feel like it

 **Oz:** Okay. I’m just surprised you still have enough energy to stay awake after wreaking havoc around half the school. Anyway, is there a reason you texted me so early or did you just want to chat?

**2 Minutes Later**

**Damien:** I need help with something

 **Oz:** What is it?

 **Damien:** My dads are on my fucking case about midterms and if I don’t get passing grades it’ll be trouble for me. I need your help to tutor me.

 **Oz:** Me tutoring you won’t really guarantee you’ll pass.

 **Damien:** Is that a no?

 **Oz:** Not really. I’m just saying I won’t be responsible if you somehow still fail.

 **Damien:** I’m not gonna blame you if that happens

 **Oz:** Really?

 **Damien:** Really. So are you helping me or not?

 **Oz:** Sure. Meet me backstage at the auditorium during first period.

 **Damien:** WTF! Are we starting that early!?

 **Oz:** lol no. Just need to straighten some things out like when and where I’ll be tutoring you. I have something to do now that requires some focus so I’ll see you later. Try to get some rest, goodnight.

That went way better than Damien expected and Oz didn’t even sound annoyed. While Damien is glad that Oz has decided to help him, he can’t help but feel annoyed at himself again for some reason. Damien’s mind was confused on what was even happening and he didn’t get a wink of sleep that night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like the story is either gonna crash and burn or I'll leave it discontinued. I'll try to make sure it'll crash and burn before I let the latter happen, at least then it will have an end :3  
> Thanks to anyone who keeps reading this randomness XD


	21. Expanding Circle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Damien and Oz makes plans for their tutoring session. Polly is looking for Oz.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think I can finally skip a few days but then I got ideas for some of those days XD

It was almost dawn, Oz was in the basement lab carefully dissecting the corpse he was fixating over the weekend. It’s turning out really badly which would mean Oz would have to discard everything. Perhaps using an already slightly rotting corpse was a bad idea or it was just that hard to do plastination in the first place with how delicate the dissection should be handled. Regardless that’s one more failed attempt for the records. The failure was neither a good or bad thing for Oz since that’s just how experiments are, being a personal project also helped to not affect his emotional state.

Oz was feeling rather serene after his little haunting spree, it did a lot for him to de-stress. As much as Damien’s rampage indirectly lightened his mood, it didn’t really help with the frustration he felt that needed its own separate outlet. While a bit of harmless destruction would have also worked, the preparation Oz needed for that type of de-stressing activity took more time than doing the deed itself which would result in a different kind of stress than the one he’s already feeling.

Damien’s early morning text came as a surprise but from what Oz could gather, he’s just stressed out about midterms as most students should. Oz was planning on helping Damien study anyway but it is rather convenient that Damien himself asked for it. This way Oz is sure he’s not being too nosy, doing things that weren’t necessary or even unwarranted. There are many things Oz is uncertain of but explaining school subjects is one of the few things he’s confident in after helping Amira and Brian with Vicky whenever important tests come around.

Whenever too many crazy things happen at once, it’s nice to just lean on the side of logic where problems all have answers, most of them do anyway. Oz spends the rest of his early morning compiling past test questions into a previously empty notebook making it into a workbook for use at a later date once he starts tutoring Damien. In the end, Oz ended up making 4 separate workbooks with similar but different compiled questions. Maybe he went a bit overboard due to how convenient and relaxing he found it to be. He’ll have to give the extra workbooks to his friends, it would certainly save Vicky the trouble of making one herself.

After everyone (except Oz) ate breakfast which was just a pile of French Toast because it was Brian’s turn to make breakfast and he only cooks one type of dish each time, Oz talked to Vicky about the workbooks he made. She checked one out with sparkles in her eyes, saying that they were perfect for their Sunday group study.

* * *

As hard as Damien tried, he didn’t get any sleep last night. He was too busy thinking of how he could possibly make things even with Oz, when every chance he gets to do so has been thwarted by the universe. Damien might as well throw money at him and maybe then nothing will get in the way. That might not be such a bad idea, Oz did agree to tutor him so paying him wouldn’t even be weird. Why didn’t he think of this before?

Damien headed towards the auditorium and oddly enough it’s still in ruins full of scorch marks all over the place. Did they skip on fixing it because theater classes are suspended until midterms are over? Whatever, Oz said to meet him backstage, maybe he forgot that theater was canceled. When Damien got to the backstage area, he saw a ghost using their phone among the rubble… oh, wait, that’s just Oz still wearing that freaking blanket for some reason. Hearing Damien’s footsteps, not-ghost-Oz looked up from his phone and waved.

“Why the fuck are you still wearing that thing?” Damien sat next to not-ghost-Oz.

Not-ghost-Oz turned to Damien. _“If you must know, I’m still in hiding but if all goes well, I’ll stop wearing this tomorrow.”_

“Whatever.” Damien sighed. “So, why are we meeting here? Did you forget that theater’s canceled?”

 _“No, I just figured nobody else would be here since it is canceled. Although I didn’t expect it to be in ruins.”_ Not-ghost-Oz glanced around. Despite sitting in ashes, the white blanket doesn’t appear to be smudged.

“Wanna change location? I don’t really care where we do this… whatever this meeting was for.”

_“No, this is fine and we’re meeting because you asked me to tutor you. I’ll need to know when you want to do it and where exactly.”_

“Oh, right…” Damien yawned. He hadn’t really thought about that. He’d rather not do it at school but he can’t really just ask Oz to come to his place. “Can we do it at your place?”

_“I don’t really mind but… I’m not sure you’ll want to.”_

Damien raised a brow. “Why? I don’t care if your place is a dump or small, I can make due.”

 _“That’s not really the issue.”_ Not-ghost-Oz tilted. _“Didn’t you know? I share an apartment with my friends so… if we study at my place, you’ll probably see them there.”_

The gears in Damien’s tired brain moved as he tried to process what sounds like important information. “You live with the loser gang?”

 _“I’m not sure what gang you’re referring to, I don’t live with gangsters.”_ Oz said monotone.

Damien pinched the bridge of his nose. “You live with your friends?”

_“Yes. So, if you’re fine with that we can do it at my place.”_

“Uuuuh… do you have your own room?”

_“No, I share a room with Brian.”_

Just great, that’s not really an option then. Damien would rather not have to deal with the loser gang at all when he’s trying to study. He’s not even sure when they’ll be studying yet but he doesn’t want to risk it. If Oz’s place wasn’t an option then the only private place Damien can think of is his own place and that would be in hell. It’s not a problem for him but he’s not sure if Oz would be fine with it.

“Do you know any private place we can study?” Damien asks just in case Oz has any other options of venue.

 _“Hmmm… no, none that would be good for studying.”_ Not-ghost-Oz shook his head.

“Then… we could do it at my place.” Damien rubbed the back of his neck. “Y’know… in hell.” Not-ghost-Oz’s eyes seem to blink in surprise. Maybe he should just suck it up and study at Oz’s place if he’s too against the idea.

 _“Sure!”_ Oz said rather cheerfully for someone agreeing to go to hell.

“Wait, you’re okay with it!?” Damien looked at Oz with shock.

Not-ghost-Oz looked up as if trying to recall something then turned back to Damien. _“Oh, I forgot that you’re technically royalty. Do I need to seek an audience with the kings first?”_

“That’s what you’re concerned about!” Damien smacked his own forehead. Maybe he should just stop thinking all-together. Being considerate was never a strong point for him and Oz is just a goddamn puzzle. “No, you don’t need to do some formal shit to come to my place since I’m inviting you as a guest.” He said exasperated.

 _“Is there something wrong?”_ Oz sounds confused.

“You’re fine with going to hell?”

_“Well, yes. That’s where you live.”_

“Do you even know how to get there?”

 _“I know a way and with your status it should be easy to find where your house is.”_ Oz said nonchalantly.

Damien eyed not-ghost-Oz. “What crimes against god and man did you commit to damn your soul that you can go to hell?” He asked genuinely curious.

Oz is one of the nicest monsters he’s met next to Blobbert and Scott. The biggest issue Damien had with bringing friends over to his house is that they’d have to be terrible enough to be damned, Oz didn’t even like breaking normal rules, it’s hard to imagine that he did any immoral sin. Not only that, most don’t really like going to hell just for the hell of it, even Damien himself (for different reasons). The way Oz talked like it was no big deal was surprising, considering this is the same guy hiding using a blanket for such a minor issue.

 _“Existing?”_ Not-ghost-Oz shrugs. _“I just can, so there should be no issue with me going to hell.”_

“I guess… that’s fine then.” Damien was too tired to question it further.

_“Then have you decided a time? I’m free except for Sunday.”_

“You pick. As long as it isn’t today, I don’t give a fuck.” Damien leaned back on the wall.

_“How about Friday and Saturday?”_

“Sure, Fine, we’ll go with that.” Damien said dismissively.

 _“Then that’s all settled.”_ Not-ghost-Oz started to fiddle with his phone.

Hearing that the conversation was over, Damien closed his eyes thinking he could get a quick nap. But he couldn’t really fall asleep sitting up on the hard floor, he kept shifting around trying to get into a comfortable position but it didn’t really help. Damien would just lie on the ground if it wasn’t covered with ash and soot which would dirty his hair.

 _“Ummm… what are you doing?”_ Oz asked gingerly.

“Trying to sleep.” Damien grumbled with his eyes still closed, shifting about.

_“You didn’t end up sleeping last night, did you?”_

“Not a wink.” Damien huffed, starting to feel annoyed that he can’t find a good position to sleep.

After a while of more shifting, Damien could hear a soft chuckle in his mind. Before he could open his eyes to see what Oz found amusing, Damien suddenly felt his body being pulled down to the side then his head landed on something soft. Startled by the movement, Damien’s eyes shot wide open to look up and saw the deadpan expression of not-ghost-Oz looming above him. He’d probably have another heart attack if Oz wasn’t wearing that stupid blanket.

Not-ghost-Oz cocked his head. _“Is this better?”_

Damien was tired and couldn’t think straight so he covered his eyes with an arm, letting out a grunt. He didn’t know what was happening anymore but he was lying down, making it a comfortable position to sleep in. Soon enough, Damien let himself relax and fell asleep after he stopped trying to think.

* * *

The sight of Damien sleeping on his blanketed lap reminded Oz of a grumpy cat that finally calmed down. The demon had been rather low energy since they showed up, Oz thought it was due to the thought of studying or possibly tuckered out from yesterday’s arson spree if not both. Seeing him trying to sleep sitting up with a grumpy look on his face made Oz remember that not everyone can just fall asleep in any position like Brian did.

Oz didn’t really understand how Damien of all monsters was friends with him now but life just tends to be surprising like that. It was nice to have a new friend, even if that friend is a danger to himself and others. Damien was shyer than he expected, although Oz is no stranger on wanting to keep certain things about one’s self private, it was still unexpected since he thought Damien didn’t really care what others thought about him. Guess you can’t always judge a book by it’s cover, despite how simple it may seem. Not that Oz was one to judge since he’s a walking deception.

When they were discussing where they should study, Oz briefly thought about his old abandoned house but it was and never will be a good place to do things there, plus Damien might burn it down. Despite how uninhabitable it was, Oz is actually fond of that old house which is currently back to being haunted by a bunch of ghosts ever since Oz moved out. The risk of fire was lower at his current apartment since it’s equipped to deal with all sorts of emergencies.

The prospect of going to hell to tutor Damien actually thrilled Oz. He hasn’t visited hell in a long time and he never did get to take in the view, though it’s mostly just a fiery landscape. Oz tried to sound less eager than he actually was after his initial outburst, trying not to look like he’s exploiting his visit for a mini field trip. He did forget that Damien was a prince of hell at that moment, making a formal request to visit was what Oz thought would be his main issue upon remembering, thankfully that wasn’t the case.

Damien sounded perplexed when Oz said he’d go to hell. He had forgotten that people can’t just randomly visit hell whenever they wanted to or even leave for that matter unless they’re high ranked demons. Not really sure if he can explain the how since that’s just something he could naturally do, Oz said as much and shrugged it off.

It didn’t seem like Oz will be meeting the king and other king of hell either which is both a shame and a relief. Oz was less intimidated of meeting adults than his own peers for reasons he’s not entirely sure of. Parents tend to appreciate his politeness, formal speech, and rant about things to him like a grandparent would to grandchildren in movies, at least that’s what he experienced when he met Amira and Vicky’s parents. Oz isn’t sure it would be the same case when those parents are rulers but he’s still interested in meeting them.

Families fascinate Oz just as much as the mysteries of life. He knows not all blood related families have the best relationships but the concept in general is heartwarming. The whole unrelated family thing confused Oz at first but over time he came to understand it’s meaning beyond the technicalities. Home is where you make it and Oz certainly made his with his small family, quite literally with how much renovating and interior designing they did.

The bell rang pulling Oz out of his thoughts. Damien was sleeping soundly and he didn’t want to wake him with how tired he seems. Oz gently shook Damien to check if he’ll easily wake up, he didn’t respond. Oz pondered on what to do next since he’s going to his next class but leaving Damien to sleep at the ruined auditorium backstage seems like a bad idea. After a while Oz cast an invisibility spell on Damien that only lasts an hour and carried him bridal style as a hovering blanket to the infirmary then left him there along with his stuff.

* * *

It was lunchtime, Damien awoke from his slumber and was confused on where the hell he was. Looking around it seems like the school’s infirmary. He’s not sure why the fuck he’d be here when he doesn’t feel any pain from a fight. Damien pulled out his phone to check if he missed anything and there was one unread text from Oz.

 **Oz:** Hey Damien, thought I’d leave a message in case you forgot what we discussed this morning. I’ll be coming over to your place on Friday and Saturday to tutor you. I left a notebook filled with questions you could work on before the tutoring session, I’ll check your answers on Friday. Work on it or not is up to you but please don’t burn it. Get some proper rest in the meantime and don’t forget to eat. See you later. PS: I moved you to the infirmary since you were sleeping so peacefully.

Reading the message and slowly recalling what happened before he fell asleep, Damien could feel his face heat up because he’s blushing really hard. Why the fuck does it feel like he just woke up from having a fever? No, it still feels like he has a fever, did he catch a fever? His recollection of what happened made him feel dizzy, did he seriously fall asleep on Oz’s lap just because he didn’t get any sleep last night!? He can’t believe he let his guard down so much for that to happen, it was just… so comfortable.

The text Oz left Damien made him just as confused. He could roughly remember the first part and the middle part sounds like homework but the last parts of the message, why did it sound so… delicately caring? Damien wasn’t even sick, he was just sleep deprived. He’s not sure how to take those nice generic reminders, he’s not used to others worrying about him over nothing unless it was his dads. It felt like there were butterflies in his stomach, maybe he is catching something.

Damien’s brain can’t process any of this when he’s slightly drowsy from waking up. He saw the time on his phone and realized it was lunchtime, his stomach growled. Oz did say he should eat… n-no, he’s obviously just hungry so why would he forget to eat? Damien saw his bag on the bedside table and there was a book underneath it, normally he ignored such things but Oz did say he left a notebook for Damien to work on. Lazily flipping through the notebook, it does look like Oz’s handwriting so he stuffed the book in his bag with a sigh before leaving to get some lunch.

* * *

“Damien!” Polly popped out from the middle of Damien’s cafeteria table.

The sudden appearance and shout made Damien throw a knife at Polly out of reflex but since she’s a ghost it passed right through her and stabbed a random student in the back. “Fuck Polly! I told you to stop doing that!”

“Sorry boo.” Polly said with a grin on her face not sounding sorry at all. She sat on one of the seats. “I need your help with something.”

Damien rolled his eyes. “What is it this time?” He said slightly curious.

“Remember that video I showed you guys during the weekend?”

Damien frowned. “Yeah, what about it?” He said in an annoyed tone that went over Polly’s head.

“Well, I’ve been looking for the guy but he’s nowhere to be found!” Polly waved her hands wildly.

Apparently, Polly has been searching for Oz during her free time or when she’s not too high to remember him. Something about wanting to bring him to other parties and such since it’ll be fun. The more Polly talked it irritated Damien for some reason and it doesn’t seem like she realizes it. Now he kind of gets why Oz would be in hiding, although if it was Damien, he’d just tell her to fuck off.

“So, have you seen him anywhere?” Polly ended her tale with the question.

“No.” Damien immediately said.

“Aww you too?” Polly pouted. “He’s like a ghost and not the sexy kind like me.” She joked.

Damien gave her a quizzical look. “Who else did you ask?”

“Vera, Scott, Brian and Coach.” Polly tried to recall what they all said. “Vera said she had no clue which is weird since she knows everything. Me and Scott tried sniffing him out but Scott didn’t know what he smelled like. Brian said he isn’t anywhere I could see him, which makes no sense! And Coach said there’s no PE.”

Ignoring why Polly even asked Coach to begin with, it does sound like she’s actually been looking around for Oz. Damien didn’t ask how Vera knew Oz since it all just happened so fast but it was weird that she didn’t tell Polly where Oz could possibly be. Brian seems to be hiding Oz too from the sound of his cryptic response. Polly floated off somewhere after a while when Damien didn’t have anything to add to her search for the elusive shadow monster.

* * *

Polly has been looking for Oz for a very simple reason, she wanted to see how he was doing. As a party expert that knows the people that show up to parties, she could tell how uncomfortable Oz was when she first spotted him. It must have taken him a lot of courage to simply show up. She wanted him to have fun and it seems like he did but then he disappeared without her realizing it. In hindsight she might have pushed him a bit much and now he’s avoiding her.

Despite what others may think, Polly is a very caring soul, that care just doesn’t extend to anyone she isn’t a tad bit interested in like everyone else. Their encounter might have been very short but Oz left an impression on her, something about him told her instincts that they’d be really fun to hang out with. Polly always goes with her instincts since that’s what leads her to awesome parties and awesome monsters.

Not having any leads on where to find Oz, Polly went to the library to read some literature. The library was pretty empty today during lunchtime. As she was in the middle of reading at the reading tables, Polly felt someone approaching her, when she looked up to see who it was, it turned out to be a ghost. Wow! She didn’t know there were other ghosts at Spooky High.

“Hiyaaa!” Polly said cheerfully. “I can’t believe there are other ghosts here other than me!”

 _“Um, Polly. It’s me, Oz, uh Tappy?”_ The ghost tilts. _“I heard you were looking for me and before you ask, I’m only temporarily a ghost, I’m not actually a ghost.”_

A look of surprise appeared on Polly’s face. “Woah, you can do that!”

 _“In a sense, if you think I’m a ghost.”_ Ghost-Oz took a seat next to Polly.

“So cooool!” Polly’s eyes sparkle not questioning how that’s even possible. “Where have you been?” She furrowed her brows. “I looked all over school for you.”

 _“Oh, ummm… sorry.”_ Ghost-Oz fidgets.

“It’s alright.” Polly slings her arm around ghost-Oz. “I just thought we should get to know each other better! Maybe have more fun at other parties.” She gave a wide smile.

 _“T-thanks… b-but… I don’t think I’ll be going to any parties anytime soon.”_ Ghost-Oz said meekly.

“You not have fun the other night?” Polly looked a bit concerned.

_“N-no, I did have fun. It’s… just a bit much right now.”_

Polly gave a thoughtful nod. “Okay, so no parties but there’s other things we could do! I’m full of surprises!” She picked up the book she was reading. “Are you interested in Russian literature?” She gave a cheeky grin.

Turns out the answer was yes, Oz was indeed interested. Polly doesn’t get many chances to show off her literary interests to often so she was happy to share her favorites with Oz. They had a nice time talking about the book she was reading, The Gambler by Fyodor Dostoevskey. Before Oz left because classes were starting, they exchanged numbers. Yep, Polly’s instinct was right once again!

* * *

The day has been going rather well for Oz. He was a bit nervous when Brian texted him saying that Polly was looking for him. While Oz was hiding from the majority of the school, he wasn’t really avoiding Polly. As chaotic the party ghost can be, he found her carefree attitude charming and wishes he could talk to others as easily as she does. Oz wouldn’t want to seem like he’s avoiding her when she somehow remembers him… in a way it might be thanks to the video that he loathes the existence of.

Polly turned out to be more mellow than Oz expected compared to her usual over-the-top upbeat appearance when she’s at parties. Perhaps she was sober but regardless he had a delightful time with her just talking about books which usually he could only do with Vicky. Damien didn’t show up for Mad Science which was just theory that day for the upcoming midterms, Oz thought nothing of it because he though Damien was still tired, especially with all the arson he did yesterday.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just want Oz to be happy and have more friends :3


	22. A Trip Down To Hell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The days before Oz goes to tutor Damien and the day itself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hoo boy, writing this was a mess. I wanted to make the week pass by but... y'know XP  
> Since it took a while I made it longer.

Damien was an idiot, at least that’s what he thought about himself when he finally processed everything that happened that morning. Not that it was anything new, he’s used to being the fool. Damien completely forgot to mention how he should repay Oz for his help, AGAIN. Well, at least he got some good info. Oz is badass enough to go to hell on his own somehow and he lives with the loser gang.

Not wanting to deal with school today, Damien went out to a park to burn it down before going to the roof of an abandoned building to watch it burn from a distance. He pulled out the notebook Oz left him, when he opened the cover to see the first page, it only had 3 words boldly scribbled on it: **DON’T BURN ME!** The reminder made him chuckle, the dork actually wrote that on the book aside from telling him through text.

After calming down a bit, Damien figured that the least he could do is take this studying shit seriously and not waste both their times. The notebook was filled with multiple choice questions so he could just randomly answer them but that would defeat the point of all this and seeing as Oz somehow handwritten the entire thing, Damien would feel bad not doing it correctly. He couldn’t answer many of them on account of barely paying attention in class and he didn’t have his textbooks with him.

* * *

The next Day Oz was no longer wearing a blanket or Vicky’s jacket, he was back to wearing his signature yellow cardigan and normal hairstyle which Vicky said was a shame. Things started off like a good day, a day so delightfully boring with no drama involving him. Oz had second period with Vera and she returned his greeting before ignoring him completely for the rest of the class which is something he preferred considering their arrangement, plus she was actually paying attention to class.

Oz decided to go to the cafeteria today, it’s almost been a full week since the last time he stepped foot in there. He got there early for once and took a seat at an empty table wondering if anyone will come by, odds are someone will even if it’s just for the table space. He doesn’t know why he’s creating suspense for himself but if he’s ever going to get used to interacting with strangers, risks are inevitable. He already skipped out on 2 days having his stealth mode on, no more chickening out or whatever they call it.

Not having to wait long, Liam dumped a bunch of food stuffs on the table Oz was sitting at. Looks like Liam brought a bunch of random food for some reason to school just to get a food pic of it during lunchtime. Soon Miranda also came and her serfs displayed her silverware on the table. Liam aside, Oz hasn’t really interacted with Miranda but considering she’s a princess in the more traditional fashion he won’t talk to her unless spoken to.

It appears that Miranda is lending her silverware to Liam for his food pic. Oz can’t tell if they’re ignoring him or they don’t realize he’s sitting right in front of them since he’s so used to being ignored when people can’t see him. They’re so busy arranging the food and silverware, there doesn’t seem like a good time to intervene so Oz just watched in silence. He’s sure his stealth mode is off which makes this a good sign for his natural unnoticeable presence.

When Liam was done arranging his food, Miranda couldn’t make up her mind on what silverware to use. The two argued for a while before Liam finally noticed that Oz has been sitting there all along. After acknowledging Oz’s presence, they asked for him to settle their issue as an impartial third party. Since they weren’t screaming at the top of their lungs, Oz didn’t feel pressured on voicing his opinion which is to just use the Picture Fork since apparently it exists.

Finally taking his food pic and Miranda was happy to lend her silverware, the two rambled to Oz about silverware and art which he was mostly just a listener to. What Oz got out of this lunch conversation was that he still has no clue about art and that merfolk silverware is very needlessly specific compared to standard common silverware. While less engaging on his part, it was an overall good encounter.

Oz glanced around to see how everyone else was doing, he saw Brian and Vicky sitting with Polly and Scott, Amira sat with Vera but Damien was nowhere to be seen. That was slightly concerning, unless the demon was skipping school, he should be here. Even when Damien went to the library on Monday, enough time has passed for him to have eaten something. Did he actually eat yesterday? Maybe Oz should have checked on him.

 **Oz:** Damien, are you at school?

Until lunch was over, Damien still didn’t reply. This only fueled Oz’s worry of what’s possibly going on. Sure, Damien skips class and days of school fairly regularly so it could be nothing. But what if it wasn’t? What if something terrible happened due to his overly reckless behavior? Many disastrous possibilities went through Oz’s mind as he half listened to what the teacher was saying. In the middle of his negative thinking, Oz’s phone vibrated.

 **Damien:** Nah, I’m skipping the rest of the week

 **Damien:** Not like I’m gonna learn anything in class

 **Oz:** I’d debate that if it wasn’t true (-_-)

 **Damien:** Sup Oz, did you need something?

 **Oz:** No, it’s nothing. I just didn’t see you at the cafeteria so I wondered where you were.

 **Damien:** Why?

 **Oz:** I kind of just left you yesterday and I haven’t seen you since. I thought something might have happened to you.

 **Damien:** Dude, I’m Damien fucking LaVay! Nobody can hold me down!

 **Oz:** That’s not really what I meant.

 **Damien:** Then what did you mean if it doesn’t involve me getting caught by the cops?

 **Oz:** Mainly health concerns.

 **Damien:** I’M NOT SICK!

 **Oz:** True but from what I’ve witnessed you’re still vulnerable from missing out on basic biological needs. Even if the constant arson and crimes won’t kill you, negligence will if you keep that up. Do you want lack of sleep to be the reason you go down?

 **Oz:** Just ignore that.

**1 Minute Later**

**Damien:** Why are you being so fussy over nothing?

 **Oz:** I said ignore it!

 **Damien:** I find it insulting that you think I can die in such a lame way

 **Oz:** Well, excuse me for caring about your well-being. It’s just a habit.

 **Damien:** Habit from what?

 **Oz:** Knowing how easily mortality can hit living beings.

 **Damien:** Not sure what you mean but I’m not gonna keel over just because I didn’t get enough sleep once!

 **Damien:** Stop being such a worrywart. I’m not fragile!

 **Oz:** Sorry. I don’t think you’re fragile. I was just worried. Things have been pretty hectic, for my standards at least. Whenever things calm down, something else comes up so I’m a bit on edge. I tend to think of the worse case scenario at times and as you’ve seen I can be pretty paranoid. We’re friends so I wouldn’t want anything bad to happen to you.

 **Oz:** You’re probably busy now. Sorry for bothering you.

 **Damien:** Stop saying UR fucking sorry!

 **Damien:** Gimmie a sec

**2 Minutes Later**

**Damien:** First of all I’m not busy, UR the one in the middle of class

 **Oz:** Okay.

 **Damien:** Secondly sounds like you need some time off

 **Oz:** That would be nice but with midterms next week I can’t really get any free days doing nothing for a while.

 **Damien:** Are you sure coming over to my place and tutoring me is a good idea?

 **Oz:** Yes, I’m looking forward to it.

 **Damien:** You are?

 **Oz:** Yep. I don’t think I’ve been to the 8th circle of hell before and a change of scenery is always refreshing. I know you always say it’s boring or lame but I’m still interested to see what it looks like.

**1 Minute Later**

**Damien:** BTW why Friday and Saturday?

 **Oz:** You mean why 2 days or why those specific days?

 **Damien:** Both

 **Oz:** A day to work or check on the notebook I left you and a day to properly review the materials that will be on the exam. Since it’s a lot of subjects I’m not just going to cram all of them to you in 1 day, you’ll still have to look over the materials yourself the night before the exams if you want them to stick. As for why it’s those days, it would have been ideal if we could use the whole weekend but I already have plans for Sunday so Friday would have to do even if it gives us less time to use.

**3 Minutes Later**

**Damien:** What are you doing on Sunday?

 **Oz:** Group study with my roommates.

 **Damien:** Fuck, UR studying the whole weekend!?

 **Oz:** Pretty much. But it’s not like I’ll be studying 24/7, I’ll still be doing other stuff.

 **Damien:** That’s still a fuck ton in my books

 **Oz:** I guess you wouldn’t want to use the whole weekend if I was free then?

 **Damien:** I wouldn’t be against it

 **Oz:** Really? Even though it’s a ‘fuck ton’ of studying?

 **Damien:** If you think that would be better

 **Damien:** UR the one tutoring me

 **Oz:** Unfortunately, that won’t be possible but it’s nice to know you’re taking this seriously.

 **Damien:** I’m always fucking serious!

 **Oz:** You’re skipping school right now

 **Damien:** So sue me

 **Damien:** When are you coming on Friday?

 **Oz:** I’ll be there at 9 PM if you don’t mind.

 **Damien:** Sure, see you on Friday

 **Oz:** Okay, have a nice day. Don’t forget to rest.

 **Damien:** IT WAS ONE TIME FOR FUCKS SAKE!

 **Oz:** :P

Oz was semi-serious with that last statement but it seems like Damien is just fine. With his worries washed away, Oz continued to have a pleasantly uneventful day and played some visual novels at night.

* * *

Damien threw his phone on the bed. He wasn’t expecting Oz to text him at all until it was Friday since Damien was always the one to initiate them. Damien had overslept from not getting proper rest again, he was up all night trying to answer all the question on Oz’s notebook but was constantly frustrated and distracted to actually finish. He decided that getting through the mighty notebook before Friday comes around is better than going to school, he passed out knowing he had a lot more time to work on it.

When Damien woke up and checked his phone to see a text from Oz, it felt like a sneak attack. The shadow monster had a tendency to do that somehow whether he meant to or not. Damien contemplated for a while if he should instantly reply or not considering the time and it’s already been a long time since Oz sent it. Oz should be in the middle of class and even if Damien did reply there was no need to respond to his reply.

Figuring that Oz always gave him an immediate reply, he might as well do the same, even if he did hope they could chat for a bit. Of course, Oz instantly replied not even asking what took so long. Oz sounded rather fussy for reasons Damien couldn’t fathom, it made him feel annoyed among other things he can’t pinpoint, then Oz went into a pessimistic tone that the only word Damien could easily spot was ‘sorry’ before he could actually read what Oz typed.

How Oz types so much through text is something Damien isn’t used to, he still needs time to read and process what he writes at times but it wasn’t really an issue, he’s just glad that it makes Oz less vague that way. Oz sounded really stressed out and made Damien feel bad thinking that tutoring him was just adding to that stress but it seems like Oz was really looking forward to it for reasons beyond Damien’s comprehension.

Finishing up their little chat with what seems like Oz being either cheeky or fussy, Damien considered to not overwork his brain mostly for his own sanity and Oz would probably needlessly worry about him otherwise. There’s only so much Damien can focus on with a lack of interest, he shoved everything else that probably needs thinking to the backburner of his mind until this whole midterm thing is dealt with. He’d really like to pass and make his dads proud, possibly impressing Oz in the process.

Throughout the week, Damien burned down a couple of buildings in Monstropilis to let off some steam whenever he got too stressed from all the thinking. With every arson reported on the news, Oz wondered if the workbook he made was still intact, he had a copy of the one specifically for Damien just in case it was incinerated.

* * *

On Thursday Oz had some free time since there was no PE, he wandered off behind the bleachers to find Kale there along with Polly, they were high. He just hung out with them chatting about nonsense which he found to be quite amusing as the only one sober. At some point, Scott came around looking for a Pokeman.

Oz hasn’t really interacted with Scott but the werewolf was aware of him because of how often he accompanies Vicky to cheer him on and it seems like the frankenstien’s monster actually mentioned Oz to him ever since he’s started to talk to others. Scott invited Oz to search for Pokeman with him which he accepted, Kale was too stoned to participate and Polly didn’t care.

They ran around all over school, mostly because Scott won’t just walk for some reason, Oz didn’t really mind but he doesn’t run a lot for long distances that the sensation felt unusual, it certainly felt different than just running laps around the gym when they weren’t doing dodgeball. Their mostly aimless running around paid off when Scott caught a rare Winslow Jibs at the auditorium which was fully fixed now. Scott licked Oz’s face… stunning him for a moment before he thought it was fine to wipe the drool off his face.

Feeling like he’s gotten more used to all these social encounters, Oz went with Scott to the cafeteria when the bell rang. They sat with Vera because Scott was interested of the drink the gorgon had on her. It became an issue where Scott couldn’t hear the difference between his name and scotch, Vera looks ready to pop a blood vessel from the misunderstanding then glared at Oz as a signal for him to do something. Oz took Scott’s energy drink bottle he had on the table and wrote ‘SCOTT SPECIAL DRINK’ on it using a marker before handing it back to Scott, pulling his attention away from the scotch debacle. This somehow worked.

Amira and Vicky ambushed Oz when he got out of his last class and dragged him off to an ice cream parlor where Brian was already at. This was a rather common occurrence when the girls wanted to hang out after school without warning which means Brian didn’t know they were coming either. Oz has always let himself be swept up by their whimsical pace, on the rare chance he doesn’t, he would have escaped their ambush.

“Alright!” Vicky slammed her cupped ice cream on the table. “So, we’re starting our annual midterm meeting.”

“This is the first one.” Brian took a spoonful of his parfait. “We’re just gonna study on Sunday like usual, right?”

“Well, yeah but I was thinking that we’d turn it up a notch and use the whole weekend instead to be extra prepared.” Vicky stated.

“Woah, woah, woah.” Amira made a pushing motion with a hand that wasn’t holding an ice cream cone. “I’m not sacrificing my Saturday for this. Didn’t you already get that outline you were worrying about?” She turned to Vicky.

“I know it’s a lot but it’s the midterm of our last year!” Vicky scooped her ice. “I’m sure it’ll be good in the long run.”

“I think I’m fine doing it the usual way.” Brian said.

“Yep, we don’t need extra. It’ll be fine.” Amira licked her ice.

“C’mon guys! It’s just one extra day!” Vicky whined.

“An extra Saturday.” Amira glared.

“Then let’s put it to a vote!” Vicky suggested.

“A vote is useless, it’ll be a stalemate anyway.” Amira huffed.

_“Well, actually. I’m busy on Saturday so I can’t agree to it either.”_

Everyone turned to Oz with shocked looks on their faces. “Oz, what is this betrayal! Are you finally entering your rebellious teen phase?” Vicky gasps dramatically.

Oz rolled his eyes. _“I’m just saying I already have plans for Saturday.”_

“And those plans are more important than making sure everyone has good grades!?” Vicky put a hand on her chest.

“Don’t drag us into this, we didn’t even agree.” Brian sighed.

Amira nodded. “Yeah, we totally won the vote for not studying on Saturday.”

“Hush you two! We didn’t even have a vote.” Vicky protested.

“But if we did, the NO team won.” Amira retorted sticking her tongue out.

Vicky shook her head. “Anyway, what are you doing on Saturday?” She turned to Oz.

He was contemplating on how to answer her first question. Priorities aside, everyone except Vicky wasn’t really into the notion of studying on a Saturday. Damien was willing even if he might be pushing himself to do so. If by chance Amira and Brian were on board with the idea, Vicky would still be there to help them and Damien has nobody helping him so in the end Oz would probably still choose to tutor Damien. But he’s not sure if it is technically more important.

Snapped out of his conundrum, Oz answered the easier question. _“I’m hanging out with Damien.”_

“Oh shit, he might actually be entering a rebellious teen phase.” Amira said wide eyed.

Oz turned to Amira. _“Haven’t you been perpetually in that phase since we met?”_

“He’s got you there.” Brian chuckled.

Amira elbowed Brian. “Well, this isn’t me we’re talking about.” She scoffed then pointed at Oz. “Geek boy over here just said he’d rather hang out with the devil than study. I’d say that’s a clear sign of rebellion if I’ve ever seen one.”

 _“Yet, I bet I’ll still pass regardless.”_ Oz said in a cocky tone.

“What happened to my pure precious boy?” Vicky wiped away a fake tear from her eye.

While Vicky is acting as exaggerated as usual, she’s really been pushing for everyone to study more than she usually would. Considering how she mentioned ‘last year’ early on the conversation, Oz figured the anxiousness of it being her last year at Spooky High might be getting to her.

 _“Relax Vicky. I’ll still be there on Sunday.”_ Oz patted Vicky on the back. _“And you know how useless forced studying is for Amira.”_ He said half joking.

“Oi! Why just me!?” Amira points her thumb at Brian. “Zomboi slacks just as much as me!”

 _“Brian is a quick learner when he’s paying attention.”_ Oz said matter-of-factly.

Amira chomped off the last of her cone. “I feel personally attacked.” She huffed.

“Well, I certainly feel vindicated.” Brian smirked.

Vicky sighed “I guess you’re right.” She ate her ice. “We don’t have to study on Saturday.” She pouted.

Amira slammed a fist on the table. “Great! At least that’s settled.” She turned to Oz. “I still think it’s weird that you’d rather hang out with Damien than back up Vicky’s study plan.”

 _“You know I don’t like changing plans. Especially, if those plans involve others.”_ And he’s still going to study. Oz wished Damien wasn’t so closeted about that mundane fact but it’s clear he doesn’t want others knowing.

Realization dawned on Vicky. “Wait, since when did you plan to hang out with Damien on Saturday? I haven’t seen him since his rampage on Monday.” She turned to Oz.

“Oh yeah, I remember he tried staying in jail once as an excuse to skip a test.” Brian said.

 _“That happened?”_ Oz turned to Brian. If it’s true then Damien sure is making a huge effort this time around.

“I mentioned burning down the school jokingly and that’s how it turned up.” Brian shook his head at the stupidity. “I never joked about fires again in front of him after that.”

Oz sighed. _“I don’t think that really matters. He’ll think of arson on his own somehow.”_ He turned to Vicky. _“Anyway, it was planned since Tuesday.”_

“That’s… pretty early.” Vicky tilted. “So, what are you going to do with Damien? Is it a crime spree?”

 _“That’s personal.”_ For someone else but technically true.

“Wow, it’s been a while since you pulled that line.” Amira said.

Vicky’s eyes lit up. “IS IT A DATE!?” She said excitedly.

Oz narrowed his eyes. _“By that logic, I went on a date with Vera last week.”_ Why she keeps jumping to that conclusion is a mystery to him.

“Oh… I guess it’s not then.” Vicky looked disappointed.

_“Have you gone on a date with Scott yet, Vicky?”_

“W-what!?” Vicky’s face blushed. “Why are you asking all of a sudden?”

 _“Because you suddenly asked me.”_ Oz said monotone.

Vicky twirled her hair around her finger. “W-well… t-there was that bowling hang out last week.” She said sheepishly.

_“Even I know that doesn’t count.”_

“That doesn’t count.” Amira said.

_“Since we’re on the topic, you could have joined me during lunch since Scott was there.”_

“T-that’s…” Vicky trailed off.

_“You could ask Scott to come over and join our Sunday study session, I’m sure he’d be happy to. He obviously likes you enough to invite you to go bowling last week. You could make him food to eat during breaks, I think I heard somewhere that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. Better yet, ask him to study on Saturday and have a date whi-.”_

Vicky grabbed Oz by the shoulders and shook him. “Sh-shut up Oz! You don’t know what you’re talking about!”

 _“But you cou-.”_ Vicky shook him harder.

“I GET IT! JUST STOP TALKING!”

 _“Fine, could you please stop shaking me now?”_ Vicky stopped shaking Oz after a few more seconds.

“Huh, so what did he say?” Brian asked.

Vicky turned to Brian. “O-oh, um, what did you hear last?”

“Because you suddenly asked me.” Brian stated.

Amira snickered. “Man, he must have said some pretty embarrassing stuff.”

Vicky covered her face with her hands. “Oz… you’re a jerk.” She whined.

_“I think I gave some pretty good suggestions but perhaps this would make you stop jumping to conclusions.”_

Vicky playfully glares at Oz. “Geez, you get out of your social bubble for a week and turn into a savage.” He just shrugs at that. Vicky finishes her ice cream. “So, what’s everyone else doing on Saturday? Since we’re not doing a group study and Oz is unavailable, I got nothing to do.”

“Probably gonna do some gaming.” Brian shrugged.

Amira was checking her phone. “Nothing for the day but I’m going bar hopping at night.”

Vicky frowned. “You’ll get a hangover.”

“Don’t worry. I got some anti-hangover drink from Mamimi, I should be just peachy when we start.” Amira said nonchalantly.

“Good, cause you’re not getting out of it even if you have a hangover.” Vicky said sternly.

_“You could still invite Scott to study on Saturday.”_

Vicky only glanced at Oz, knowing he’s just speaking to her this time. “ANYWAY, guess I’ll just study on my own then.” She puffed her cheeks.

The 4 of them went back together and ordered takeout for dinner. They spent some time watching trashy reality TV shows until Oz excused himself to go somewhere late that night. His rather late departure was odd since Oz doesn’t really go out after hours when he’s already at the apartment.

“This new Oz is gonna take some getting use to.” Amira said once she was sure Oz was out of range.

Brian took a sip from his soda. “I’m surprised you two didn’t interrogate him before he left.”

“I’m not getting another verbal lashing today.” Vicky grumbled.

“Yeah, I don’t wanna to risk that either. He’s pretty ruthless when he doesn’t want to explain stuff.” Amira turned to Brian. “Come to think of it, how come he never does that to you?”

“I don’t push, unlike you two.” Brian said bluntly.

“But I’m cuuuuuuriiious.” Vicky whined. “I thought he’d be friends with Scott first out of anyone noticeable at the very least, not the infamous pyromaniac.” She waved her hands around.

“I’d be more shocked if the guy himself wasn’t so obviously interested in Oz.” Amira nodded. “He’s only been seen for a week and somehow the school’s popular monsters are all over him. It took a couple of schemes for Vera to actually notice me.”

“Aww… is someone jealous?” Vicky teased.

“I’m not jealous!” Amira says defensively. “It’s just that… it isn’t easy to catch her attention without doing something outstanding, y’know?”

“Well, Oz tends to find a way to stand out. He’s just oblivious to see it despite being preceptive in other ways.” Brian smiled fondly.

“He really is.” Vicky grinned. “I’m glad he’s being more social but I guess that means we’ll be seeing even less of him now. What do you guys think he’ll be doing with Damien?”

“I donno, burn some abandoned buildings?” Amira shrugged.

“Why abandoned buildings?” Brian raised a brow.

“We told him that Oz doesn’t mind destroying buildings if there’s no one around.” Amira said nonchalantly. “I figured that’s the only thing we told him that caught his interest.”

“Oh yeah, we did tell him that.” Vicky looks like she just remembered. “But he also invited Oz last week, right? So, maybe they’re just hanging out doing normal stuff?”

“But if it was, you’d think Oz would just tell us.” Amira pondered.

“It’s hard to tell if what he’s hiding is actually a big thing or not. One time it’s the fact that he can feel others fears but then another time he just didn’t want us knowing he’s really into anatomy.” Vicky scratched her head. “Ugh, you’d think he’d be easier to read by now!”

They continue to talk about Oz while he was away and reminisce about the past. It’s starting to really sink in that their introverted shadowy friend is really branching out. Oz has done a lot for them ever since they met and all of them want him to be happy. They’d talk for the rest of the night if Oz hadn’t come back so soon only being gone for around an hour.

He came bearing boxes of fancy pastries that have souls as an ingredient, saying that they were on sale so he brought some home. They have no idea why but it’s free pastries and Oz said anyone that asks questions won’t get any, shutting up Amira and Vicky. He was going to use their shares for experiments if they dared, not that he didn’t already set aside some for that purpose.

* * *

It was finally Friday, Oz seems to be acting more cheerful than usual. He was humming as he washed dishes and by humming it was just a constant ‘hmm hmm’ sound repeating every 2 seconds that it sounded like some sort of alarm. It was both a good and annoying sign because ear plugs can’t block telepathic humming, they’ve learned to tune it out but it still gets on Amira’s nerves early in the morning. The last time this happened it was when they had plans to visit a museum.

When Vicky asked what’s the occasion, Oz gleefully answered by saying _“I’m going to hell.”_ Then continued to hum. The answer made everyone freeze for a while before they could digest what he said. Connecting the dots, they all reached the same conclusion, they didn’t need to know the details of whatever Oz plans on doing with Damien. It’s easy to forget that he’s literally the embodiment of fear and that he considers some terrifying things (even for monsters) as normal despite his aversion to do any atrocious things himself.

The day went by without incident and Oz had prepared for his trip to Damien’s house. He texted Damien around lunchtime to make sure there weren’t any change in plans, it was a quick confirmation without any banter. He organized everything that he needed on hand along with anything extra he’ll probably need for his visit. Textbooks, notebooks, a calculator and writing supplies were in his backpack while snacks, a laptop, novels, a handheld console, holy water spray, first aid kit, a bunch of knives, a box of pastries and bottles of hot sauce was ready to be pulled out from the void at any time.

Once school was over and Oz got his stuff ready, he went straight to the 8th circle for a stroll and to take in the sights. The underworld looked more inhabitable than he expected with various housing for demons and shops, he never had any reason to visit such areas before when all he needed was the fears of damned souls. The major differences from the surface was just all the fire, constantly bloody sky, loud screams of tortured souls and technologically less advanced, otherwise it’s not all that different in Oz’s opinion. He’s heard that the 9th circle was actually very icy, perhaps he’ll visit there someday.

The castle that should be Damien’s house was clearly visible even from the demon town Oz was strolling through. There were some beasts roaming around that aren’t often seen in the mortal plane, like magma pterodactyls, guess magical dinosaurs exist down here. Looking around, the architecture reminds him of towns he sees in games that have medieval settings. Oz would like to go into some of the shops but he’d get too distracted and won’t make it in time to tutor Damien.

Getting closer to the castle it became bigger, visual perception is weird. When he reached the front gates Oz wasn’t exactly sure how to proceed, how does one ring the doorbell for a castle? Before Oz’s could think too much on it, the iron gates opened. A demon that seems to be the gate guard appeared and told him to just continue forward. As Oz walked towards the castle through the front lawn, he saw a curiously giant, gelatinous, fifty-nosed creature that spits bile and eats corpses.

Having the front door in sight, Oz could see Damien leaning against it. Checking his watch, it was a few minutes past 9 PM, probably since Oz kept looking around even after passing the front gates. Oz picked up his pace, sprinting towards Damien.

 _“S-sorry for being late. I got distracted.”_ Oz said as soon as he was in front of Damien.

Damien raised a brow. “What the fuck are you talking about? You’re right on time.”

Oz checked his watch again. _“Nope, it’s already 9:04.”_

“See? It’s still 9.”

Oz looked up at Damien. _“It’s 4 minutes off.”_ He chuckled.

“Meh.” Damien opened the door. “Let’s go already and make sure I don’t fail.” He headed inside.

Oz followed Damien. _“Well, someone’s eager.”_

“I told you I was fucking serious!”

_“So, what have you been doing while you were skipping school?”_

“Ummm… stuff.”

_“Okay? What stuff?”_

“Y’know, the usual, setting shit on fire and stuff.”

Oz followed behind Damien as they walked through the castle. It’s as huge as one would expect from seeing the exterior. Passing through a series of corridors and stairs the two walked in silence as only the muffled voice of screaming could be heard. While Oz liked the silence, he found it odd that Damien wasn’t bringing up anymore conversation. Oz would say something but he’s not sure what to say so he just continued looking around in silence.

They stopped in front of huge double doors that look fancy with some engravings carved on them compared to many of the other doors Oz has seen here. When Damien opened the door, Oz’s eyes went wide from what he saw was inside. It was a huge library filled with tomes and scrolls as far as the eyes can see. Oz wouldn’t be so surprised if it was on the surface since libraries were where he gained most of his information from but a library in the underworld would surely contain some rare reading material, especially since it’s a library in a castle.

Damien smirked when he saw Oz’s reaction, he never used the royal library at all for anything but he figured Oz would like it if their tutoring session was there compared to his bedroom. If there’s anything that Damien is certain of about his new cool mysterious shadowy friend is that he loves reading and cats. Not sure how Oz got down here to hell but that’s not really important, just goes to show how fucking metal he is.

“C’mon.” Damien went inside walking towards one of the reading tables.

Oz shook his head and followed, as much as he’d like to explore the library, he did come here for a reason so that should take priority. Damien had prepared all the textbooks they needed and the notebook Oz’s left him all on the table. Once they sat down, Oz picked up the now tattered notebook and skimmed through it.

 _“I’m impressed you actually filled it up.”_ Oz said genuinely impressed.

“Did you think I wouldn’t?” Damien asked only slightly offended.

 _“No, I thought you’d accidentally burn it.”_ Oz flipped open one of the pages that has scorch marks on the edges. _“I’m guessing it almost did.”_

Damien turned away. “Maybe a little.” He mumbled.

 _“Anyway, since you did work on this, I’m going to check the answers.”_ Oz opened the first page. _“We’ll work on the ones you answered wrong once I’m done, you can do something in the meantime.”_

Damien didn’t do anything and just stared at Oz as he was checking the notebook, trying to gauge his expression. The demon was a bit anxious in how he actually did since he did skimp on actually answering some of the questions, he wonders if Oz would notice which ones. Oz’s expression didn’t change at all for most of the time he was checking Damien’s answers, the one time it did happen, he just narrowed his eyes for a while as he flipped through a few pages then it went back to normal.

Oz was marking the answers, obviously there were a lot of mistakes. Most of the answers that were correct were for subjects relating to murder, torture and chemistry when it involves fire. Seems like he entirely gave up on math, just answering in random patterns using B or D for some reason, probability made some of those answers correct. The results pretty good but that’s to be expected when you’re given ample time and access to the textbooks or even the internet. At least it shows how seriously Damien is taking this, now he just has to make it stick long enough.

 _“You’d be sure to pass midterms if you can manage remember all this.”_ Oz closed the notebook.

Damien’s face lit up. “Really!?”

 _“Yes.”_ Oz looked at Damien in the eyes. _“Except for math.”_ Damien groaned. _“You didn’t really try on those questions, did you?”_

“It took way too fucking long to answer one question!” Damien protests.

 _“Well, we’re going to have to start with math then.”_ Oz pulled out a notepad and a calculator from his backpack.

“We’re using a calculator?”

_“Yes, it makes counting faster.”_

“But I can’t use one during the test. It’ll be useless.”

Oz furrowed his brows. _“Ummm… you can use a calculator during the test.”_

Damien’s eyes widen. “Seriously? Isn’t that like, cheating?”

Oz shook his head. _“No, it’s not. It really just helps you count faster.”_

The news seems like some sort of revelation to Damien. Once they start using a calculator, Damien is actually good at math. It seems like thinking he had to manually count was the only thing holding him back. After finishing with the math part, they moved on to the other questions Damien got wrong then Oz quizzed him on the questions he did get right just to make sure he can remember them.

 _“Alright, let’s take a break.”_ Oz closed the notebook.

Damien stretched his arms out. “Finally.” He yawned. “Man, that felt like it took forever.”

 _“Well.”_ Oz checked his watch. _“It’s been 2 hours which is the amount of time class lasts.”_

“Wow, I don’t think I’ve paid attention in class that long.” Damien leaned back on his chair.

 _“I’m sure most don’t.”_ Oz glanced around. _“So, uh, Damien?”_

Damien turned to Oz. “Yeah?”

 _“W-would it be alright if I… took a look around… maybe read some of the books?”_ Oz said sheepishly.

Damien chuckled. “Sure, knock yourself out.”

Oz instantly stood up and dashed off to a faraway shelf. Damien pulled out his phone to browse some trending hairstyles, staying informed about current trends is important for his aspirations to possibly be a hairstylist and makeup artist. As Damien was looking at an article about the most fabulous pixie hairstyles for this autumn/winter season, he felt a tap on his shoulder. Damien turned around to see Oz standing behind him, clearly able to see his phone screen. Abruptly trying to stand up and hide his phone at the same time made Damien stumble, accidentally tossing his phone in the air as he fell down.

Oz took a step back. _“Woah.”_ He caught Damien’s phone and looked down at him. _“Are you alright?”_ He got closer and offered a hand to help Damien up.

Still a bit dumbfounded by what just happened Damien took Oz’s hand and got up. Regaining his senses, he finally spoke. “What the fuck were you doing just standing behind me?”

Oz rubbed the back of his neck. _“Um, well, I put some snacks on the table but you were busy staring at your phone so I got curious.”_ He held out Damien’s phone.

Damien snatched the phone. “Don’t do that!”

Oz flinched. _“S-sorry.”_

Damien pocketed his phone then looked confused realizing something. “Why’d you tap my shoulder?”

_“W-well, I was wondering why there weren’t any pictures of pixies on the article.”_

Damien processed the question and facepalmed. “A pixie hairstyle isn’t hairstyles for pixies. It’s the name of the hairstyle.” He said exasperated.

 _“Oooh, I didn’t know that. It makes more sense now.”_ Oz thumped a fist on his palm. _“You must know a lot about hairstyles.”_

Damien realized that he basically just outed himself. “W-well… that’s…” He turned away. “I guess… you could… say that.” He said in a low voice.

Oz finally understood what was happening. _“That’s cool. I have no clue about such things, although that’s probably obvious.”_ He said lightly. _“Anyway, like I said I put some snacks so feel free to eat them.”_

Oz sat back at his chair where a thick tome was already placed in front of him. Damien slowly got back to his chair too. There were some snacks and energy drinks on the table just like Oz said. Not sure how he didn’t hear anything but Oz is super quiet even though no other sounds could be heard in the library. Oz seems to be feeding cookies to the blobs on his shoulders.

Oz is doing it again, not making a big deal out of things Damien feels insecure about. Maybe it’s okay to tell Oz the reason he knows about hairstyles, keeping it a secret without anyone to tell is a burden. It would be better if he could just tell his dads but he doesn’t have enough courage to do that yet. Perhaps just talking to someone about it would lessen the burden.

“I have a huge secret: I want to be a hairstylist and makeup artist.” Damien blurted out.

Oz turned to Damien from reading the tome. _“It’s good to know what you want to be.”_

Damien continued by telling Oz about how he got interested in hairstyling and makeup from watching Boo Paul’s Drag Race when he was young. How he thought it was about drag racing at first but then realized it was about drag, by the time he was done with the first episode, he was blown away by the contestants, who happened to be fiercer and stronger than any warrior or drag racer he’d ever seen. Oz stayed silent as he listened to Damien’s backstory.

 _“So… are you any good at it? Hairstyling and Makeup.”_ Oz asked after Damien was done.

Damien was a little taken aback by the straightforward question. “Well… I think my makeup skills are on point but my hairstyling could use some work.”

 _“Then that’s great. Honing a skill takes time so there’s no need to rush. I remember how bad I was at dissecting organs the first time I tried, it was a complete mess.”_ Oz furrowed his brows at the memory. _“I’m better at it now and I’m sure you’ll reach the level of hairstyling you’re satisfied with eventually.”_ He smiled with his eyes at Damien.

Damien could feel the heat rise on his face. “T-thanks.”

Oz looked down at the table where the tome he didn’t get to read yet was left opened along with the neatly stacked textbooks then looked back at Damien. _“Anyway, I did say this was a break but do you think you can handle a bit more reviewing or should we call it a night?”_ He tilted.

Damien groaned. “I guess I can still go on for a bit more but are you heading back once we’re done?”

Oz picked up one of the textbooks. _“Yep.”_

“Isn’t it troublesome to go back and forth like that?”

_“Not really, it’s easy enough to do for me although we should hash out what time I should come tomorrow before I leave.”_

Damien pondered for a while. “Then… why not just stay over?” He said nonchalantly. “It’ll be easier than going back and forth.” Plus, they’ll get to hang out more aside from just studying.

Oz turned to Damien. _“I can?”_

“Sure, why not? Unless you got other things to do.”

Oz turned his gaze to the tome again. _“Well… it is more convenient.”_

“Right? It’ll be a sleepover!” Damien said rather excitedly.

Oz turned back to Damien. _“I don’t sleep.”_

“Same difference, sleepovers aren’t about sleeping anyway.” Damien scoffed.

Oz giggled. _“I suppose that’s true.”_ Making up his mind he nodded. _“Then I’ll be staying over.”_

“HELL YEAH!” Damien pumps a fist in the air.

 _“We’re still doing some more reviewing first, though.”_ Oz tapped the textbook on the table.

“Damn it!” Damien’s mood deflated. “I forgot about that.”

 _“Don’t worry, it’s just a bit more.”_ Oz opened the textbook. _“Then maybe afterwards you can show me how good your hairstyling is if you feel like it.”_

“Really?!” Damien perked up again and Oz gave a nod. “Alright, let’s get this over with!”

And so, Oz spent the rest of the night at Damien’s house. Once they were finished with studying, Damien brought Oz over to his room and showed him his hairstyling technique on a corpse. Oz was impressed on how smoothly Damien handled the scissors, Oz had no sense of hair aesthetics but it was clear that what Damien did wasn’t easy to do.

When Damien was done with his demonstration and heard Oz’s opinion on it, he was satisfied. Then Damien asked what activity Oz would like to do now aside from reading a book. Oz contemplated on what to do then pulled out his laptop, he thought it would be fun to play one of the visual novels he hadn’t played yet with someone. Damien didn’t look too thrilled about it but said he’d give it a go and will shit talk about it if it’s super lame.

The VN Oz picked looked like a very typical slice of life story with nothing interesting about it but the reviews were overwhelmingly positive so there has to be something that makes it stand out. It started out pretty standard and Damien was disinterested until they started to mention poems. Being partially a dating sim there were 3 girls to choose from: cheerful childhood friend, angry midget and shy bookworm.

“Of course, you’d pick the bookworm.” Damien teased.

_“What? Do you want to try someone else?”_

“Nah, just thought you can be predictable sometimes.”

_“Well, I’d choose the leader if she was available.”_

“Suuure you would.”

Going through more of the VN they both became more interested in the characters and meaning of the poems. Oz started to feel anxious for some reason, like a foreboding feeling that something bad was about to happen in the story despite how normal everything seems. When they found out that the shy bookworm secretly liked to collect knives, Damien commented on how similar Oz was to her, he took it as somewhat of a compliment. Then a difficult choice appeared.

Oz turned to Damien. _“W-what should I choose?”_ He said nervously.

“How the fuck should I know!?” Damien was slightly panicking too. “Isn’t there a third option?”

 _“There’s only two options!”_ Oz gestured at the screen. _“Stay friends or say we love her!”_ He clutched his head. _“She’s our childhood friend but she loves us. If we say we love her it would be a lie since we’ve been going after the bookworm. If we’d gone with the childhood friend from the start this would be so much easier!”_

“C-chill out Oz. You said these things have routes, right? Then we’ll just make her happy later.” Damien patted Oz on the back.

 _“O-oh, right. I guess we’ll just have to stick to the previous choices.”_ Oz calmed down, he saved the game then chose the stay friends choice.

Oz felt guilty for doing it but in the end, he’s already made his choices and he could just redo things later like Damien said. The atmosphere became eerie and soon enough his fears came true when the twist appeared, Damien was really shocked while Oz just felt bad feeling it was coming.

“HOLY SHIT! That came out of nowhere!” Damien was staring wide eyed at the screen.

 _“No… the signs were there…”_ Oz said dejectedly.

“Is this game over?”

_“Seems like it.”_

“The load that save file, maybe we can fix it!”

Oz tried to load the game but a corrupted sign appeared. _“I-it’s corrupted somehow.”_

“What!? Did the game break or something!?”

_“I don’t know!”_

They both freaked out for a while before Oz realized it was probably programed that way. For some reason the childhood friend character was gone so Oz decided to just go through the same steps as before. The game started to glitch out all over the place every now and then, events and conversations changed with a missing character, things get creepier and the bookworm seemed to have gone completely insane.

Glitch horror didn’t surprise Oz after the first few times it happened and he started to see a mystery unfolding but some of the jump scares caught Damien off guard. The game finally ended after Oz fiddled with some of his files and it practically uninstalled itself from Oz’s laptop after the credits rolled.

“Is… is that how all these things work?” Damien asked still a bit baffled by the experience.

 _“No, this was unique. Some do try to break the fourth wall but not to that extent.”_ Oz turned to Damien. _“So, what do you think?”_

“That was fucking crazy. Who knew the game was a game all along.”

_“Yeah, I didn’t expect that either.”_

The two discussed what they thought about the twists and turns of the game along with some of the subtle signs that foreshadowed what was about to happen. It was getting pretty early and Damien was starting to feel tired so Oz said he’d be going back to the library. Oz said goodnight to Damien as he left his room then made his way to the library through the shadows since he can’t completely recall the way there.

Finally having some alone time Oz could actually read the tome he picked up earlier. It was a tome written in an ancient language filled with olden spells. He can read it just fine but slowly, it’s been a long time since he’s had to read such writing so he’s a bit rusty. While he can absorb an ungodly amount of knowledge, he wasn’t omniscient or have photographic memory. He’s not completely sure how his mind works which lead to a few existential crises in the past but now he’s learned to just not question everything.

The unexpected emotional turmoil along with existentialism caused by the game he chose on a whim made Oz glad he didn’t play it alone. He really should take trigger warnings more seriously when playing games with a cute façade, the ‘psychological horror’ tag also escaped his view in the interest of not spoiling himself through tags. Thankfully Damien’s presence kept Oz grounded and his flinches were cute to keep Oz feeling calm, not that he’d say that out loud.

Oz spends the rest of the dawn deciphering what the tome he picked up says. Apparently, the spells can only be used by demons or so it says, making it pretty useless for Oz in a practical way. It was still interesting to know what demons could be capable of if they knew any of the spells written in the book. As he was reading, he heard the door to the library open a few times, it seems like some demons on patrol around the castle, when they saw Oz, they didn’t say anything and just left.

* * *

**_Color Crew Group Chat_ **

**Vicky:** Morning everyone!

 **Oz:** Good Morning.

 **Brian:** Why the fuck did you wake me up this early

 **Oz:** The phone woke you up?

 **Brian:** no

 **Brian:** Vicky wouldn’t stop banging the door until I said I was awake

 **Oz:** That makes more sense. Where’s Amira?

 **Vicky:** She went off somewhere yesterday and hasn’t been back.

 **Vicky:** So, I thought I’d check in on everyone this morning through chat :3

 **Oz:** Vicky, you didn’t need to wake Brian up for that if he’s already there with you.

 **Brian:** ^

 **Oz:** BTW I’m doing fine.

 **Vicky:** But everyone should be included! I wouldn’t want him to be left out.

 **Oz:** That’s nice but he can just scroll the chat later when he woke up.

 **Vicky:** AMIRA ANSWER THE CHAT!

 **Oz:** Did she say where she was going?

 **Vicky:** No, so I’m worried.

 **Oz:** It’s the weekend so it’s not really out of the ordinary.

 **Vicky:** But it’s the weekend before midterms! What if something happens and she can’t make it on Sunday!?

 **Oz:** She said she’ll make it and as irresponsible she can be, she usually keeps her appointments.

 **Vicky:** WHY ARE YOU SO CALM ABOUT THIS!?

**_Vicky’s Phone_ **

**Oz:** Calm down Vicky.

 **Vicky:** I AM CALM!

 **Oz:** But you’re texting loudly.

 **Vicky:** I’m calm.

 **Vicky:** Why’d you switch to personal chat?

 **Oz:** Because you’re freaking out that I can practically feel it through text.

 **Vicky:** Is it that apparent?

 **Oz:** Not exactly but you seem more on edge as midterms get closer.

 **Vicky:** So, you noticed. I thought I’ve been acting pretty normally.

 **Oz:** You have, I don’t think the others noticed yet.

 **Vicky:** Welp, Brian’s already back to sleep and Amira still hasn’t answered the group chat so I guess that’s true.

 **Oz:** It’s pretty early, she’s probably asleep wherever she is.

 **Vicky:** Yeah.

 **Oz:** Did you get any sleep last night?

 **Vicky:** Yeah.

 **Oz:** Then do something fun today. It’s not good to overexert yourself or else you’ll actually do poorly when the time comes.

 **Vicky:** Are you having fun?

 **Oz:** Yep, so you should have fun too.

 **Vicky:** Any suggestions? I’m drawing a blank.

 **Oz:** Why don’t you go down to the lab and see if there’s anything you want to experiment on?

 **Vicky:** That’s a great idea! I forgot we got a lab down there XP

 **Oz:** Don’t forget to charge up too.

 **Vicky:** OMG I totally forgot! You’re a lifesaver Oz XOXO

 **Oz:** Well, have fun.

 **Vicky:** You too :3

* * *

As Oz was still flipping through the pages of the tome, reading on a defensive spell in case you run into the pope, the doors of the library burst open, startling him. Two demons that look more distinctive compared to the patrol guards that have been passing by entered the room. A red demon wearing a robe and a large purple demon that looks like a buffer Damien. They approached Oz so he stood up, bracing himself for whatever is going to happen.

“My, you must be Oz. Friend to our pride and joy Prince Damien of the 8th circle of hell.” Said the red demon who doesn’t have a visible mouth like Oz.

“Our beloved son didn’t inform us that you would be staying the night!” Said the large purple demon boisterously.

_“I-it was an impromptu decision. Sorry for imposing.”_

“Nonsense! Any friend of our sweetie Damien is always a welcome guest.” The purple demon gave a toothy grin.

It was the kings of the 8th circle of hell, Lucien and Stan LaVey. Good thing Oz had prepared himself for the possibility of meeting them or else he’d be super nervous. Oz gingerly handed them a paper bag that had a box of pastries, a bunch of knives and bottles of hot sauce in it. Pastries with damned souls as an ingredient, knives made with supposedly delicious metal, the hot sauce was just really spicy. They seem pleased with Oz’s offering which made him let out a silent sigh of relief.

Mentioning that it was his first time seeing the 8th circle, the kings went into a full-on history lesson monologue describing the state of things. The kings of hell were a lot more friendly than he expected albeit they would slip in some rather threatening lines in the conversation. Oz couldn’t tell if they were actual threats or their way of joking, some did sound pretty amusing. The mention of a vivisection of the heart to detect whether or not true love lies there, piqued Oz’s interest since he didn’t know such a thing was possible, unfortunately that was actually a joke.

Oz knew being a ruler wasn’t easy but the mention of continuous assassination attempts sounds very stressful. He could barely handle many strangers knowing about him, let alone if those strangers were after his life… if he was actually mortal. In hindsight, Oz thought of himself as a rather shady individual. How he hasn’t been detained as a possible spy is a wonder when he’s just chilling in the library without supervision, possibly trying to steal some important information.

They invited Oz to have brunch with them, which he refrained to mention that it was still too early to call it brunch. He followed Lucien to the dining room as Stan went to wake Damien up. And so, Oz ended up having ~~breakfast~~ brunch with Damien and his dads before they started studying for the day. Damien seemed rather embarrassed by some of the things his dads said which is pretty much a normal reaction as far as Oz is aware. Seeing Lucien eat made Oz consider on actually trying to eat one of these days.

Damien and Oz were back at the library to continue their tutoring session after ~~breakfast~~ brunch and the kings went off to do some torturing. Before they started, Oz mentioned how cool Damien’s dads were which led to Damien bragging about them and telling Oz how love is a metal thing down in the 8th circle. He actually already heard the story of how Damien’s dads conquered the 8th circle of hell a few hours ago but Oz just listened quietly anyway. Oz thought the LaVeys were terribly adorable as a family after all of these exchanges.

Recalling the events of last night and his conversation with Damien’s dads, it didn’t sound like they knew about Damien’s fixation with hairstyling and makeup. Upon reflection, Damien is a prince, a fact that keeps slipping Oz’s mind in technicality, which means he’ll eventually inherit the throne to become the king of hell since he’s an only son per tradition of how monarchies work. Oz feels like he just realized something he wasn’t supposed to and kept that thought locked up in the back of his mind.

Damien never had a friend he could just openly tell things without him thinking they’d think less of him. Oz was a really good listener, even though he gets quite snarky at times. Not sure how Oz managed to talk to his dads and make an impression when he said he was avoiding interaction with strangers just a few days ago. Damien’s glad Oz understands how great they are because they’re the fucking best.

Speaking about his dads made Damien wonder what Oz’s parents are like. Oz said he didn’t have any and that he basically just materialized, so in a sense god created him. Damien didn’t really get what that meant aside from that he just popped out of nowhere. Then Oz explained that he’s the embodiment of fear and that he consumes fear. Oz figured that fact wouldn’t disturb Damien as much as any random monster since he’s from hell. Although Oz left out the part where he existed before time was a concept, maybe he’d tell him later on when exams aren’t looming over them.

Damien thought Oz just got cooler after hearing what he was. But before he could process it, Oz started their study session, saying they’ve delayed it long enough. They had some break in between all the studying, Oz would continue to read the tome during those breaks so Damien just did his own thing. They finished before nightfall, not that you could see the sky in hell.

With some time to kill, Damien asked what Oz wanted to do before he went back. There was a lot of things Oz wanted to do or read to be more specific but since Damien was asking, more reading is not an option. In the end Oz asked if he could get a tour around the house which Damien complied to. So, the two went around the castle seeing any rooms Damien deems interesting enough which weren’t much but Oz was fine with it.

When they were done, Damien offered to opened up a hell portal in front of Oz’s apartment, saying that it’ll be faster that way. He really just wanted to know where Oz lived with an excuse to see it right away. Oz didn’t really see the difference aside from the overly dramatic way a hell portal opens (splitting the ground with lava spewing out) but agreed anyway since it’s rare opportunity. Oz waved goodbye to Damien who was on the sidewalk as he entered the apartment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> idk why, I just thought DDLC was the perfect game to try out. It's short and spooky rollercoaster XD  
> I just realized how slice of life I'm making this, which is weird since I knew that from the start lol  
> Seriously gonna skip some days soon :3


	23. Detective Game

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Midterms are mostly peaceful but a crime occurred, Vicky and Oz has to solve it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Self-promo: I made a Brian x Oz oneshot. Check it out if you're interested.  
> I didn't take much of a break and I already wrote half of this before I played more Monster Camp which keeps reminding me how much nonsense it is XD

It was rainy day today at Spooky High, drops of rain fall on the crime scene, the scene of a crime most foul that had taken place in the outdoors where raves usually happen. It was now deserted because it was the middle of the day and raining. Our two detectives in trench coats and fedoras are inspecting the scene with a fine-tooth comb.

“What do you say, Sissel? Do you see any clues?” The frankengirl said turning to her partner.

The shadowy partner stares at the crater in front of them. _“Yes, the culprit…”_ They pointed to muddy footprints. _“Clearly didn’t cover their tracks at all.”_ They said in a monotone voice.

“Good catch partner!” The frankengirl took a picture with their phone as evidence. “We’ll catch that thief in no time and retrieve Mr. Howl’s bones!”

The shadowy partner picks up a flattened football then turned to the frankengirl. _“Can I just say who did it?”_

“No! We’ve got to collect all clues first.” The frankengirl gestured at the messy crime scene. “Then we’ll look for witness accounts!” Her eyes sparked with excitement.

 _“Fine. As long as you don’t leave a trail of bodies everytime we split up.”_ The shadowy partner jested.

“Bu-but what about the rewind puzzles!?”

_“We are not doing rewind puzzles! I’m not using arcane time spells just so we can imitate a game.”_

“Wait, you could actually do that?”

_*Chanting arcane time spell*_

“Bu-but what about the rewind puzzles!?”

_“There are no rewind puzzles.”_

* * *

**Flashback**

When Oz got back to the apartment from hell, Amira was back too, she canceled her plans to go bar hopping due to whatever thing she did for the day. Brian was playing FoF and Vicky was cooped up in the lab. Oz went to check on Vicky who turned out to be very focused on tinkering with their toaster. In fact, what used to be their waffle maker and blender seems to be destroyed which is a bad sign so he dragged her out of there, to save their toaster and Vicky from herself.

Apparently, Vicky was trying to upgrade the kitchen appliances for some reason and failed miserably. Normally, Oz would scold her for such careless experiments using items that’s used by everyone but she was clearly more stressed than he expected. The only way to make her relax was do more studying. The extra copy of Damien’s workbook which didn’t get used seemed to do the trick, Vicky filled out the workbook in just a few hours before sleeping that night.

Their usual midterm group study session went without a hitch. Vicky was really energetic throughout the whole thing that Oz remind her when breaks should be taken before Amira and Brian’s brains fried from nonstop thinking. Damien texted a few times asking for VN recommendations but Oz refused to give any at this time since he’ll be too distracted otherwise.

Midterms were passing by quietly, school time is halved for the exams to give students more time to study for the next day. Oz decided to use his extra time in empty classrooms to read the tome he borrowed from the royal library. But of course, even such a simple activity keeps getting interrupted during what’s supposed to be extra time.

Monday, Damien invited Oz to hang out with him which Oz turns into mini tutor session halfway through. Tuesday, Vera had a job for him to do which he used the favor to get some guns. Wednesday, a new crepes shop opened up so he went there with Amira and Brian to check it out, that was more of a decision than interruption because his phobias get cranky if they’re left out of eating new stuff. During the nights, he studies with his roommates. If it wasn’t for the fact that he didn’t need sleep, Oz wouldn’t be getting anywhere with the tome.

Thursday rolled around and what Oz thought would finally be a day without interruption from his tome reading was interrupted by Vicky grabbing him and dragging him into a janitor closet which was a new turn of events. Vicky has been spending afterschool time with Scott in the library so whatever is going on must be important enough for her not to do that.

“Oz! I need you to be my partner/sidekick in solving a case!” Vicky said as she was holding onto Oz’s shoulders.

The statement was confusing to say the least. _“Excuse me, what?”_

Vicky let’s go of Oz and starts explaining. “Well, you see. I was about to help Scott study in the library as usual but he didn’t show up. When I texted, he said he lost his bones which he buried behind the school. He can’t focus on anything else until those bones are found so I want your help to find them.”

 _“And?”_ Oz raised a brow.

“And we’re solving this mystery the fun way!” Vicky somehow pulls out trench coats out of her bag. “We’ll be a buddy cop duo and crack this case wide open!”

Oz deadpans. _“You know I can just help you find them normally.”_

“But there’s no fun in that.” Vicky whines then clasps her hands together. “Pleeeeease Oz? It’s such a rare chance for a real-life mystery case.” She pulled her best puppy dog eyes.

Calling stolen bones a mystery was an exaggeration but he wasn’t really opposed to the idea. It’s the first time this week Vicky showed any interest in any other activity aside from studying or solving brain puzzles. He couldn’t really say no to the request.

_“Does it have to be a duo? Can’t we just add more people to search?”_

“It’s a duo or nothing!” Vicky perks up. “C’mon! Be the Watson to my Sherlock, the Robin to my Batman, the Bonnie to my Clyde, the Phi to my Sigma, the Maya to my Phoenix, the Luke to my Layton, the Nick to my Judy, the Kyoko to my Makoto, the-.”

_“Why are you listing off so many examples? The first one would suffice and one of those were robbers.”_

“Because we gotta pick codenames while we’re at it to slightly roleplay!”

 _“Do we have to? Aren’t the trench coats enough?”_ Oz sighed.

“It’s a must!” Vicky hands over a trench coat “You pick something, I can’t decide since they’re all so good.” She puts on a trench coat.

Oz thought for a while as he put on the trench coat that was just the perfect size somehow. _“How about I’ll be the Sissel to your Lynne?”_

“Woah, that’s actually perfect!” Vicky rummaged around her bag.

 _“Unfortunately so.”_ Oz hopes Vicky doesn’t become as troublesome as Lynne can be. He wouldn’t want to find her crushed underneath a gigantic decorative chicken or activate a Rube Goldberg Machine just to get shot.

“Alright, found them!” Vicky pulled out fedoras. “Now we need to check the crime scene first.”

* * *

**Present Time**

They’ve finished inspecting every nook and cranny of the crime scene. The clues they collected were: The crater where the bones were buried, muddy footprints, a flattened football, a patch of burnt grass, a bag of cocaine and some brown fur. Oz felt like he knew who the culprit was just by the evidence alone but will keep up the act and see where Vicky goes with this.

 _“Alright, we’ve gathered all the possible clues. What now Lynne?”_ Oz turned to Vicky.

Vicky’s eyes light up. “We follow these footprints to see where they lead!” She pulled out a magnifying glass.

They followed the footprints that led them back into the school locker rooms which was empty. Being the location where the footprints cleared up, they searched the room for any clues relating to the theft. Being the locker rooms, the only suspicious clue they found was that the showers were recently used, even though there are no sports practice this week. But anyone could use them since it’s not closed off or anything.

* * *

**Witness Testimony 1: Scott Howl**

Scott Howl had been running around in the rain looking for his lost bones. My clumsy partner had failed to inform him that we had taken the case. Thankfully we were able to get him to show up at the locker rooms via text message. He was wet and muddy when he arrived.

“You two are really gonna help me find my bones!” Scott exclaimed.

“Yep! Just leave it to us!” Vicky gave a thumbs up. “Alright Scott, tell us everything that happened before you realized your bones were missing.” She was ready to jot down his testimony on the notepad she’s been holding.

“Okay!” Scott started to retell what happened. “So, I was on my way to the library when I saw fire near the Party Tree. I hid my bones there and I didn’t want them to burn so I went over to check on them but they were gone!” He pouted

“Hm, was there still fire when you got there?” Vicky asked.

“Nope, I think it ran away. You don’t think… THAT THE FIRE STOLE MY BONES!?” Scott looked shocked.

If by some chance the fire was sentient that would probably be possible with all the crazy things that tend to happen at Spooky High. Although, that’s highly unlikely with the lack of burnt footprints left at the scene.

“Ummm… that’s… it probably wasn’t the fire. Especially since it’s raining now.” Vicky explained.

“Oh right!”

With that, our questioning of Scott Howl came to an end. Vicky told him to take a shower and leave the investigation to us, then she blushed realizing we were in the men’s locker room. Before we left the scene, Scott mentioned that he could smell the scent of his bones in there for some reason.

* * *

**Witness Testimony 2: Damien LaVey**

We saw Damien LaVey pacing around the hallway. It was a wonder why he was still loitering around school. Vicky has made him a person of interest due to the clues and Scott’s testimony. Personally, I don’t think he’s the culprit but a thorough investigation demands he be questioned regardless.

“Hey Damien! Mind if we ask you some questions?” Vicky shouts out to him as we approached.

“Fuck off, I’m busy!” Damien turned around and snarled at her.

Vicky tilted her head. “You don’t look busy.”

“Well, I’m…” Damien paused, looking confused as he eyed Vicky. “What the fuck are you wearing?”

Vicky placed her hands on her hips. “We’re wearing crime solving gear!” She declared cheerfully.

“We?” Damien took his eyes off Vicky and finally saw me a bit behind her. “Oh.”

 _“Hey Damien.”_ I waved as I moved right next to Vicky.

“Anyway!” Vicky pulled out her notepad. “You’re not too busy to answer some questions, right? It won’t take long.” She tried asking again.

“Whatever, just make it quick.” Damien huffed.

“So, was there a crater when you set fire near the Party Tree today?” Vicky asked.

Damien groaned. “Not you too! I haven’t set any shit on fire this week!” We gave him skeptical looks. “Set any shit on fire at school.”

“Oh, so it wasn’t you?” Vicky inquired.

“Did I stutter?” Damien emphasized his point.

Vicky turned to me and I gave her a nod, signaling that Damien was probably telling the truth. There’s no proof to back it up but the amount of burnt grass was too small to have been his doing. Plus, it was already raining when Scott saw the fire still burning. Honestly, the fire could have nothing to do with the stolen bones at all.

“Darn, that’s a dead end then.” Vicky sighed.

“Just what the fuck are you nerds up to?”

Vicky gave a dramatic recap of their investigation as if they were solving a murder, which isn’t really treated as a big deal here at Spooky High. It turns out that Damien was also looking for Scott’s bones, mostly because he was bored and Scott also thought he was the cause of the small fire. With their goals aligned, Vicky invited Damien to join our investigation team. I refrained from mentioning that she said something different earlier.

“Only if I get a trench coat too.” Damien stated.

“No problem!” Vicky turned to me. “Sissel, mind getting me my bag?”

Right, she left her bag in the janitor’s closet since it would ruin the detective look. It’s not telephone-lines but a quick trip there through the void isn’t really a big deal and Damien already knows about it so I sank down into the void to retrieve Vicky’s bag.

“Woah, that was fast.” Damien looked surprised.

I gave Vicky her bag. “Thanks!” She immediately rummaged through it and pulled out another trench coat, handing it over to Damien. “Here you go!”

Damien put on the trench coat with a smug look on his face, it fit him perfectly too. No fedora since Damien’s horns would be in the way. We’ve now become a trench coat trio on the hunt for stolen bones.

“So, what’s my codename?” Damien sounds excited.

 _“Missile.”_ I said immediately.

Damien’s eyes lit up. “Fucking metal! I’m a missile! Now let’s go catch the son of a bitch that stole Scott’s bones” He dashed off.

Vicky gasped. “O.M.G. It’s perfect! After him Sissel!” She followed after Damien.

 _“Wait you two! We don’t know where we’re going yet!”_ I shouted after them.

Once they stopped running aimlessly, we discussed who to question next based on Vicky’s suspect list.

* * *

**Witness Testimony 3: Polly Geist**

Polly Geist was in the bathrooms making toilet wine. Very suspicious, unpredictable and a member of the PrankMasterZ. The party ghost was high on Vicky’s suspect list. With Damien in the mix, I probably have even less talking to do and they decided to use the bad cop and bad cop routine.

“All right Geist, tell us where the bones are!” Damien yelled.

“What are you talking about boo?” Polly looked understandably confused. “Am I high or are you all wearing trench coats?”

“No use trying to deflect.” Vicky pulled out the bag of cocaine from her coat. “You left this at the scene of the crime, didn’t you!?”

“Oh, hey! You found my coke!” Polly excitedly snatched the cocaine out of Vicky’s hands. “I knew I must have dropped it somewhere.” She examines the drugs.

“Aha! So, you did steal Scott’s bones!” Damien pointed a finger at Polly.

Polly looked shocked at the accusation. “Wha? Why would I steal Scott’s bones?”

“Well, you’d know the answer to that wouldn’t you? Since you STOLE THEM!” Vicky also pointed a finger at Polly.

“I didn’t!” Polly looked pissed now.

“Then why was your cocaine at the scene of the crime.” Vicky shifted her finger to point at the drugs.

“What?” Polly looked confused again.

I sigh. _“Polly, do you remember what happened at the party tree today?”_

“Oh, totally.” Polly smiled. “That’s where I bought the coke. I think I saw a cockroach on the ground or it might have been the super shrooms then the dealer tried to kill it with fire. I was so surprised I flew away but didn’t realize I dropped the coke I just bought.”

Vicky jotted down what Polly said. “Do you remember seeing a hole there?”

“I don’t know I was pretty high I think.” Polly pouted. “If you’re done, I’m busy making wine.” She phased back into the stall she was in.

“Wait!” Vicky knocked on the stall door. “Can you answer some more questions!?”

“Sorry boo! It’s too dark to hear you.” Polly said from behind the stall.

“Hey! We aren’t done yet!” Damien was about ready to kick down the stall door.

I pulled Damien by the back of his collar making him lose balance, falling back and caught him before he actually fell, steadying him back up. _“Nope, we’re done here.”_

Damien turned around. “The hell!? How are we done?”

_“We’ve gotten enough testimony. It’s somewhat unreliable but if some of it is true, I know who caused the fire.”_

“REALLY!?” Both Damien and Vicky said.

 _“Yep.”_ I nod. _“Thanks for your cooperation Polly, have a nice day.”_

“No problem Oz!” Polly yelled.

I left the bathroom as my partners followed after me.

* * *

**Intermission**

We got coffee at the cafeteria, they didn’t serve coffee, we got them through ubereats and took them to the cafeteria for the tables. Vicky ordered a latte, I ordered a Mexican Mocha for Damien since he said “Anything.” when asked what he wanted, then a black coffee for myself. I’m not sure if this part was necessary but a coffee break was a perfect setting to do some contemplating.

“Alright Sissel, spill the beans. Because honestly, me and Missile got nothing out of Polly Geist’s testimony.” Vicky took a sip of her latte.

“Speak for yourself. Clearly the culprit is someone trying to frame me!” Damien said.

“So, nothing.” Vicky said monotone, she turned to me. “Well? What did you find out?”

_“The fire is just a red herring. Basically, it has nothing to do with the stolen bones.”_

Vicky squealed. “An actual red herring!”

“What’s she so happy about?” Damien pointed his thumb to Vicky with a confused look on his face.

 _“Just the joys of experiencing a mystery. Don’t worry about it.”_ Personally, it feels as obvious as a first case in an AA game but at least Vicky is having fun.

“Exactly!” Vicky flipped through her notepad. “I can’t believe we encountered an actual red herring.” She seems to be scribbling stuff.

Damien still looked confused and finally took a sip of his mocha, which he chugged after the first sip for some reason. Good thing he’s a demon because it should have been pretty hot since he didn’t blow on it. I texted Amira to get some confirmation of my hypothesis in the meantime. Once she finished scribbling something, Vicky asked me to explain how the fire is a red herring.

Based on the rain and timeline of events, the bones were stolen before the fire started. Having corroborating testimony via text, what caused the fire was really just hysteria. For unspecified reasons Amira was handing off drugs to Polly in the middle of the rain, she had borrowed an umbrella from Vicky earlier as further proof. With this truth uncovered we can toss out the unrelated evidence.

With all the remaining evidence, the culprit is clear. A few more scribblings later Vicky has reached the same conclusion. Damien just wanted to bust them so me and Vicky came up with a plan of action. While we were finishing our coffees, Damien went ahead to look for some beef jerky for the plan.

* * *

**The Confrontation**

The plan to lure the culprit was simple, set a teleportation circle with beef jerky on top as we wait in the janitor closet that’s been made into a makeshift interrogation room. It was complete with a desk, a lamp to shine on the suspect’s face and a rolled-up newspaper to hit them with. As the maker of the magic circle, I had to watch over it while Damien and Vicky waited at the interrogation room.

[Lynne here. How do things look on your side, Sissel? Over.] Vicky said over the walkie-talkie.

_“Still nothing. Shouldn’t be long, though. Over.”_

“Still nothing. Shouldn’t be long, though. Over.” Brian said to the walkie-talkie.

Being unable to audibly speak well, I’ve asked Brian to be my proxy. Maybe I should really practice my externally audible telepathy, now that I think about it, it’s never really occurred to me. Being unheard is just as important as being unseen in my attempt to be unassuming.

[Missile here. Why the fuck are you the one answering!? Over.] Damien yelled.

“Well, obviously because I’m the spirit medium.” Brian replied sarcastically.

[Lynne here. Start with a CODENAME and use OVER! Also add Sissel said after the codename when you’re communing with his spirit. Over.]

Brian turned to me. “So, she says. What’s my codename?”

Not that it really matters at this stage. _“Yomiel.”_

Just as expected, the suspects soon showed up and were rushing to the trap.

_“They’re coming. Send the signal.”_

“Yomiel here. Uh, Sissel said they’re coming. Over.”

[Missile here. HAH! Lame codename! Over.]

[Lynne here. We’ll be ready. Meet us at the interrogation room when you’re done. Over.]

“Does he know his codename is based off a Pomeranian?”

 _“Nope.”_ I chuckle.

The trap was activated sending the culprits to the interrogation room. Before heading there, I cleaned up the magic circle to prevent any accidental teleportation and gathered the bait. Me and Brian went to the interrogation room together, yelling could be heard before we even opened the door.

Vicky slams a fist on the table while using the other hand to direct the lamp’s light to the suspect’s face. “Fess up dirtbags! We know what you did!”

“TELL US WHERE THE BONES ARE!” Damien smacks the suspect with the rolled-up newspaper.

“We know nothing!” Says the Wolfpack.

Yep, the Wolfpack was the culprit all along. Although, it seems like the interrogation is going terribly, depending on how you look at it. Vicky keeps saying one-liners while repeating to blind them with the lamp, while Damien just keeps hitting them with a newspaper screaming. The Wolfpack can’t escape with the binding circle I left over the other end of the teleport circle.

“You’re not gonna stop them?” Brian asked.

 _“No, let them keep it up for now.”_ I shrug. _“Vicky should be able to handle it when she’s done playing around.”_

Brian and I waited near the door which isn’t far since it’s not a big janitor closet so it’s actually pretty crowded in here with 8 people inside. Damien got bored after a few minutes and joined us in the back while Vicky continued to bombard the Wolfpack with questions they kept denying. When she stopped being so extra and started to seriously grill them, things were starting to move along.

“We already ate them!” The Wolfpack admits.

“What!? It’s already too late!” Vicky slumped over the table.

I walked up to her and placed a hand on her back. _“Don’t worry, it’s not too late.”_

Vicky looked up with hope in her eyes. “Really?”

 _“Yep!”_ I smiled.

“How the fuck are we gonna get the bones back if they already ate it?”

I rolled up my left sleeve. _“We’ll just have to pull them out.”_

Each of us took care of one of the Wolfpack and retrieved all of Scott’s bones. They swallowed them all for some reason but that’s good news for us. Vicky was able to return all of Scott’s missing bones and gave him the extra beef jerky used for the trap. Then they had their usual study session in the library. The rain stopped so me and Brian went home while Damien went off somewhere.

**Case End**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just felt like writing a random short mystery :3


	24. Fellow Organic Life Forms

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oz finally uses the last item he bought from Valerie back in day 2.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writers block finally hit me as I caught a fever so this took a while to write.  
> I didn't even think of a title XD

It was Friday and the end of midterms written exams. Many rejoiced at their freedom after the bell rang. Amira and Polly started a rave at the party tree as soon as possible which attracted almost everyone. Normally, Damien would have headed there immediately to have fun after the stressful week he’s had but he doubted that Oz would even be there, in fact, he’s certain of it.

After the weekend Oz spent at his house, Damien felt like he knew the shadow monster better or to be exact, the embodiment of fear as he said it. Oz mentioned some of the abilities he had and that only his roommates know what he is so Damien should keep it to himself, not that he was planning to blab about it to anyone with how many secrets of his Oz already knows. Damien was just happy to know Oz trusts him enough to share something a select few knew about him, although it was somewhat disappointing… for some reason, that he wasn’t the only one who knew.

Oz said letting him borrow that one book from the royal library would be enough to repay his tutoring when Damien brought up the subject during one of their breaks. He didn’t really think it was an equivalent exchange but Oz sounded really excited about it that he just agreed. The guy is such a nerdy dork.

Now that midterms are over Damien can stop thinking so much about lessons which he tried to actually remember. For once in his life, he actually thinks he’ll pass an important test thanks to his brain and not from cheating. It felt pretty refreshing but also exhausting. He’s positive things wouldn’t have went so smoothly without Oz’s tutoring.

* * *

Instead of continuing his recent routine of reading an ancient tome for fun, Oz decided to go to the library. Practical exams were next week and he thought it would be a good time to check out the floppy disk he bought from Valerie. Not having enough computer savvy, Oz had assumed all computers and laptops had floppy disk slots just as they had USB ports which obviously wasn’t the case. No wonder he’s never saw any in person before.

Oz asked Vicky to come along since he has no idea what the arcane floppy disk even contains and she’s a lot more knowledgeable with technology. Luckily for them, some of the PCs at school were ancient enough to have a floppy drive. Pulling out the floppy disk and inspecting it more closely, perhaps he should have noticed how odd it was that it only had 1.44MB storage space which is very miniscule compared to anything nowadays.

Damien showed up after texting Oz asking where he was. Scott was there because he thought there was one more tutor session with Vicky, she had to explain to him that the written tests are over. Once that was taken care of, Vicky took a seat in front of the old PC and inserted the floppy disk as Damien and Scott make historically inaccurate comments of what a floppy disk is.

There was a folder labeled “SuPEr IPmoRrTaNT!!!”. When she opened it, there was only one document called “super_fun_game((VERY LEGITIMATE)).virus.”

“Uuuh… should we open it?” Vicky turned to look at Oz.

Oz has no idea how computer viruses actually work but it’s clearly a virus. _“Hmmm… probably not since it’s a virus.”_

“But at the same time, it says it’s a super fun game.” Scott interjected.

“I’d say it’s a 50/50 scenario here.” Damien said.

It clearly isn’t but before Vicky could close the window, Scott has already clicked on the obvious virus. The screen glitches and a message appear, it says “I’M A MAGIC VIRUS!”

“Oh no! It’s a virus! There’s no way we could have foreseen that!” Damien looks surprised.

“We need to do something for this poor computer! It’s our fault its life is in danger!” Scott also looked surprised.

Oz facepalms as he wonders where did all their braincells go to after they did pretty well throughout the week. Then again, book smarts don’t really translate into general smarts. Damien pulled out a box of matches which Oz immediately snatches.

 _“Can you not jump straight to arson?”_ Oz said exasperated.

“So, I should punch it?” Damien was genuinely asking if that’s what he should do.

 _“Do not punch the computer.”_ Oz said sternly to Damien then turned to Vicky. _“Is there a way to stop the virus before things get out of hand?”_

“I-I guess I can try to hack it.” Vicky pulled out her hacking gloves.

She starts mashing keys at random because that’s just how hacking works. There’s a progress bar that shows she’s steadily hacking the virus. After beating a low-poly game, the virus appears as an evil floating head which Vicky defeated by mashing more keys at random. The virus screams “I’ll be baaaack!” as it disintegrates. Some purple smoke comes out of the computer as a message appears on the screen, “Congratulations: virus hacked!”.

Vicky raised her hands up. “Woo Hoo! I did it!” She cheered.

“Hooray!” Scott cheered too.

“Fuck yeah!” Damien also cheered.

Oz has no idea what the hell just happened but it seems like the hacking worked. Arcane purple smoke continued to pour out of the PC and it’s starting to glow, that’s… not normal. The screen starts to glitch filled with green codes before it shut down then turned back on with [:)] showing up on the monitor.

[:)] “Thank you for activating me.” The computer speaks.

“Oh my gosh it’s speaking!” Vicky gasped.

“Hey little computer buddy! What’s your name?” Scott said to the computer.

[:I] “Processing question.” [:D] “Hello, my name is Calculester Hewlett-Packard. Designated pronouns he/him.”

“Cool! I’m Scott Howl!” Scott gave a toothy grin.

“I’m Vicky Schmidt!” Vicky smiled.

“Damien LaVey.” Damien said casually.

 _“Oz.”_ Oz said plainly trying to process what’s happening or if this computer could receive his telepathy.

[:D] “It’s a pleasure to meet you all.” [:0] “Fellow Oz, do you not have a last name?”

Oh, it looks like he can hear him. _“No, it’s just Oz.”_

[:)] “Understood.”

“Hey Calculester, are you a sentient AI?” Vicky asked excitedly.

[:D] “Indeed that is what I am Fellow Vicky. My primary directive is to live the true organic life experience.”

Hearing Calculester’s answer gave Oz relief knowing he didn’t just activate a vengeful AI planning on a robot uprising. It also gave him rare a feeling of empathy, it reminds him of himself when he decided to enter Spooky High to understand feelings, although the circumstances are very different.

“Woah, you’re a robot!?” Damien asked.

[:)] “Yes, I am.”

“Oh no! That’s bad!” Scott looked troubled.

[):] “Is there something wrong with me being a robot, Fellow Scott?”

“Oh right!” Vicky smacked her forehead. “Spooky High has strong policies on roboracism.”

[:0] “GASP!” [D:] “Does this mean the four of you are going to destroy me?”

“NO! of course not!” Vicky turned around. “Right guys?”

“Yeah! We’ll protect you Calculester robot buddy!” Scott agrees.

“Sure, you seem cool.” Damien said.

Oz just gave a nod as a dozen thoughts are rushing through his mind. It wasn’t exactly an internal panic as it was him thinking too much on how he should proceed with what’s going on. He has accidentally made a computer come to life due to a random item he bought from Valerie. He knew it was somewhat magical but magic mixed with technology is beyond his understanding.

“See! There’s no need to worry, we won’t let you get destroyed!” Vicky gave Calculester a reassuring grin.

[:D] “Thank you, fellow organic life forms.”

“That’s what friends are for!” Vicky gave a thumbs up.

[:I] “Processing data.” [:D] “Thank you, Friends.”

“Don’t worry about it buddy!” Scott replied happily.

“Can you even move?” Damien raised a brow.

A look of realization dawned on Vicky’s face. “He’s right. Can you move Calculester?”

Calculester was silent for a while before responding. [):] “No, I cannot.”

“What should we do?” Scott looked confused. “We can’t just leave our robot buddy here!”

Damien turned to Oz. “Got any ideas Oz. You’re usually the smart one.”

“Oh yeah!” Vicky also turned to Oz. “What should we do Oz!?”

[:0] “Do you have a solution for my predicament, Friend Oz?”

“You know how to help bro?” Scott turned to Oz following everyone else.

He’s not sure why it turned out like this when he hasn’t said a word but being stared at does make him nervous. _“G-give me a second to think.”_ With a specific issue to solve now and everyone staring at him for some reason, Oz thought of a simple solution. _“Okay first of all.”_ He points at the computer case. _“Pick that up and put it on one of the swivel chairs.”_

Scott perks up. “I got it!” He picked up the computer case and placed it on the chair next to Vicky. “Now what?”

Oz points at Calculester’s monitor. _“Pick Calculester’s face and put it on top of that.”_ He gestured to the computer case that’s already on the chair.

Damien was the one that picked up Calculester’s monitor to put it on the chair. After the monitor was placed on top of the computer case, the chair began to move back and forth a few times before stopping.

[:D] “Oh my! It appears I can move now!”

“Yay!” Scott and Vicky said at the same time as they high-fived each other.

Damien slung an arm around Oz. “Damn you really are a genius!” He ruffled Oz’s hair.

While it’s nice to see everyone including Calculester in high spirits, there was still too much to worry about that Oz can’t share their enthusiasm. He’s not even sure how Calculester is able to actually move but it probably has to do with the magic in the floppy disk. It’s a good thing that nobody else was in the library otherwise Oz wouldn’t be so calm about the current situation.

 _“Anyway, Vicky.”_ Vicky turned to Oz. _“Calculester needs a disguise for now.”_

Vicky’s eyes lit up. “Just leave it to me!”

She proceeded to pull out a trench coat, a fedora and a necktie which were used to dress Calculester up. She also pinned gloves at the end of the sleeves as an added touch to hide Calculester’s lack of hands.

“There! What do you guys think?” Vicky presented Calculester’s new look.

“Woah! You look totally different!” Scott looked shocked.

Damien nodded. “Yeah, if I didn’t see you change, I wouldn’t have guessed that you were a library computer.”

Oz also gave a nod. Considering the intelligence of most of the students Oz thought the disguise was good enough but it’s only a temporary solution, for now it would have to do. Now that he thinks about it, he doesn’t really know what Calculester plans to do.

_“So, Calculester. Do you have any plans on how to execute your primary directive?”_

[:D] “Yes, Friend Oz. I shall enroll as a student here at Spooky High.” [:)] “My programming dictates that it is the best course of action in order to reach my objective.”

_“Hmmm… it’s technically still the middle of midterms and there’s a break after that. You’d probably have to wait 2 weeks before enrolling.”_

[:I] “Searching.” [:0] “It appears you are right, Friend Oz.” [:/] “I won’t be able to enroll at this moment due to unfortunate timing.”

Vicky patted Calculester’s monitor. “Don’t worry Cal, I’m sure we’ll figure something out.”

[:)] “Yes, Friend Vicky. I shall use the time to prepare myself, running simulations and scenarios that can possibly happen.”

Calculester’s face disappeared as lines of green code run through his screen.

Scott looked confused. “What’s happening? Is our robot pal broken?”

Vicky examines the screen. “No… he’s just thinking.”

The line of green code stops as Calculester’s face appeared back. [:D] “Indeed, you could call that my thinking expression.”

“What are you thinking about?” Damien asked curiously.

[:I] “All of my programs and functionality software aren’t fully installed yet. It is faster when I direct more of my processing power to focus on it.”

Damien turned to Oz looking confused. _“He’s concentrating really hard.”_ Oz looked at Calculester. _“You should probably finish installing your programs.”_

“Yeah, I’m not sure what complicated program you’re running on but it would be better if you finished installing first.” Vicky added. “How long will it take anyway?”

[:I] “Processing data.” [:/] “Approximately a week with my AI systems running. It seems like the timing is actually fortuitous.”

“Holy shit! That’s like forever!” Damien yelled in shock.

“Yeah, bro! That’s like a whole week!” Scott chimed in.

[:I] “It is approximately a week.”

“Is there a way you can make it faster?” Vicky tilted her head.

[:I] “If I disable my AI systems to focus on the process it will be… processing.” [:D] “Approximately 23 hours.”

“That’s still pretty long but short in comparison.” Vicky stroked her chin in contemplation. “Can’t you just do that?”

[:/] “There are too many possible risks to my person were I to use that course of action.”

“What kind of risks?” Vicky asks.

[):] “I will not be able to engage with you all.” [D:] “And by extension will not be able to avoid danger while I am stationary and unable to move or perceive anything.”

Ah, yes, the dangers of being unconscious is something Oz has always dreaded. While his is mostly born from paranoia instead of analytical processed scenarios, he thinks it’s more or less similar. He’s stopped thinking that way but sleep was still optional and not something worth doing. Consciously doing nothing while closing his eyes is sufficient for relaxing.

Vicky is wracking her brain on how she can help their new robot friend but is coming out blank. Spooky High is dangerous enough as it is without being a defenseless robot and Calculester is basically just a library computer on a swivel chair, he doesn’t even have actual arms! Shutting down all systems for 23 hours in the library is too risky.

Damien and Scott aren’t really sure what’s going on aside that they have a cool new robot friend that has to hide the fact that he’s a robot. Scott likes making friends and Damien thinks robots are metal.

Everyone was at a standstill as Calculester’s screen went back to display lines of green code, thinking of a way to make things more efficient. Unfortunately, the act only uses more processing power, making his installment even longer without him realizing it.

 _“Hey Calculester.”_ Oz addressed the sentient computer.

[:0] “Yes, Friend Oz?”

_“Do you plan on staying here in the library while you install all your software?”_

[:I] “Initially that was not my intent but upon further consideration from your input, it seems to be the safest course of action.”

It seems like Oz has somehow spread his unspoken worries into Calculester, although that just might be his own paranoia speaking. Anyway, feeling somewhat responsible for bringing him to life, Oz felt the need to guide him until things could be settled.

_“Well, what if we took you to a safe place where you can focus all your processing power?”_

[:0] “Such a place exists?” [:/] “I have downloaded blueprints of the school building and there seems to be no such place.”

_“That’s because it’s not at school.”_

[:/] “In my current state I do not have sufficient data.” [:D] “But if it’s safe then I shall trust you Friend Oz. Because friends do not lie to each other.”

Okay, that last statement is kind of troublesome. It’s really best not to let Calculester roam alone freely if he’s going to take everything at face value in his current state. Checking the time, it was still pretty early that it’s not even nighttime yet.

_“Would you like to have a tour around the school?”_

[:D] “That would be wonderful!” [):] “But would it not be dangerous due to the roboracism policy?”

Vicky perked up. “You’re fully disguised!” She smiled. “Nobody will even know you’re a computer.”

“Yeah, bro. You look like a totally regular student.” Scott added.

Damien cracked his knuckles with face of a madman. “If anyone asks questions, I’ll take care of them!” Everyone except Oz didn’t catch the full intent of those words. Scott was oblivious, Vicky was too excited and Calculester currently takes everything at face value.

 _“Damien.”_ Oz said rather sternly.

Damien turned to Oz. “C’mon! It’s my thing!” He whined.

Oz rolled his eyes and returned Damien’s matchbox. _“Fine. Just try to do it as a last resort.”_

Damien’s eyes lit up. “Fuck yeah! Let’s go!”

Damien and Scott pushed Calculester out of the library with Vicky and Oz behind. With everyone mostly at the party tree outdoors, there weren’t many students in the building. The few students they did bump into had no clue to Calculester’s true identity as a library computer as he introduced himself as a future transfer student. Damien still punched some people for no reason which Oz could only shake his head in response, at least he isn’t punching everyone and isn’t stabbing anyone.

“So, where are you taking him later?” Vicky asks Oz as they walk.

She meant to ask the question earlier but got distracted by the prospect of showing their robot friend around the school and see how he interacts with everyone. It’s definitely some sort of advanced AI since he can easily respond to questions. If only she could have more time to see how his program develops and see how sentient he actually is.

 _“What do you mean where? We’re taking him home, of course.”_ Oz said matter-of-factly.

Vicky stopped walking out of shock as she grabbed Oz’s shoulders and she got up in his face. “WE’RE TAKING HIM HOME!?” She yells. The sudden reaction surprised Oz and anyone within shouting range.

“Vicky! What’s wrong?” Scott turned around looking surprised.

Vicky and Oz turned to their friends that walked ahead. “I-it’s nothing! You guys go on ahead! We need to discuss some nerdy things!” She slings her arm around Oz to face away in a not subtle huddle.

 _“Seriously? Nerdy things?”_ Oz giggled.

“I was panicking okay!” Vicky whisper shouts. “Anyway, what do you mean we’re taking him home?”

 _“I meant what I said. It’s too dangerous to leave him here at school even under a disguise when he’s not fully operational. We can watch over him if we take him home.”_ Oz explained. _“Unless you have a better idea.”_

“No, I was thinking the same thing but I didn’t consider bringing him home as an option.”

_“Why not?”_

“I donno. It’s like… seeing a stray puppy. You love them to bits at first sight but you know you can’t take them home because your parents won’t allow you to.”

_“While I wouldn’t put a sentient computer we brought to life using an arcane floppy disk equal to a stray puppy I guess you could put it that way.”_

“See? So, I thought we’d have to take care of him outside of the house!”

_“You do realize you’re basically the mom of our apartment, right? Besides, it’s not like there’s a no pet policy if we’re using that stray dog analogy. He’s technically still a computer, so it would be like bringing home new appliances. By the way, you still need to replace the blender and waffle maker you destroyed last week.”_

Vicky broke the huddle as she dramatically put a hand on her chest. “You’re bringing that up now!?”

Oz crossed his arms. _“You know the rules. You break it, you buy it. Especially since it’s for everyone’s use.”_

Vicky had completely forgotten about her experimental frenzy during the weekend since she was so focused on midterms. It would have completely flown pass her radar if Oz didn’t mention it just now. Well, she’d probably remember once Brian complains about a missing blender, the waffle maker is less of a priority.

While it’s true that Vicky is like the mom/leader in their close group of friends, making sure everyone stays on track with their duties and responsibilities. However, she’s still a young adult herself and is clumsy, making her just as prone to error on many occasions. She liked being in charge but whenever her bravado falters, Oz is always there to keep everything from crumbling down.

If she’s the mom then Oz is like that silent father that swoops in with sage advice when they’re having troubles, although his usually meek demeanor makes her think of him more as a hopeless sibling. She’s had a hard time determining which is more fitting but both are basically him and that’s just how Oz is.

“I know, I know.” Vicky sighed in defeat. While she’d like to just go shopping a browse for new appliances, she’ll just order them online because she’s got some digital vouchers available. Getting back on topic, she looked back at Oz. “So, you don’t mind taking Calculester back with us?”

Oz tilted. _“I’m the one who suggested it, of course I won’t.”_

Vicky rubs the back of her neck. “Oh, right.” All this talk about stray dogs made her forget how the conversation started. Her eyes spark upon realization. “Does that mean we get to keep him!?”

_“Uh, he’s not an actual pet Vick. But he’s staying with us for the time being.”_

Vicky squealed and hugged Oz. “We’re getting a new roommate!”

 _“Again, this is only temporary.”_ Oz said monotone.

“Shhh… let me have this.” Vicky grinned.

With how excited Vicky already is, Oz refrained from asking her if it’s possible to make a new body for Calculester. After all, the robot’s current state is very vulnerable. As a responsible worrywart, Oz cannot in good conscience leave Calculester to fend for himself. Oz was preoccupied by his thoughts and Vicky’s antics that he didn’t realize that some passing students stared at them.

* * *

After Vicky and Oz split up from the Calculester tour group, Damien became a lot quieter. He stopped punching random students which Scott didn’t even notice since he’s used to roughhousing and Calculester is less confused on irrational organic behavior.

Damien was irritated and confused but mostly irritated. He has no idea why but the sight of Vicky clinging to Oz annoyed him. He’s well aware that they are close friends and roommates so it wasn’t really anything weird. Now that he thinks about it, that one time Oz wore different clothes to school under a blanket, who the fuck knows why, it was a blue jacket which is Vicky’s primary color. Is he thinking too much or is it something suspicious?

Perhaps it’s the lingering mystery vibes he has from yesterday’s game of detective, despite the only thing he did was yell and smack suspects wearing at trench coat while Oz and Vicky did all the investigating. Well, Vicky looked like she was investigating, Oz was acting like a stoic badass which he totally was when he pulled all those bones out of the Wolfpack so nonchalantly.

Before Damien can think more on whatever suspicions he has, Vicky and Oz caught up with them from whatever secret stuff they were doing.

“Hey guys!” Vicky waved. “Hope we didn’t miss anything interesting!”

[:D] “Welcome back, Friend Vicky, Friend Oz.” [:)] “Everything has been going smoothly.”

“Yeah! Everyone’s been really nice to Calculester and they don’t suspect a thing!” Scott said loudly.

Vicky placed a finger in front of her lips. “SHUUUUSH!”

“Oh, sorry!” Scott whispers loudly.

Oz can’t help but chuckle with how similarly loud they are when whispering. He saw Damien was a few steps away from Calculester and Scott looking somewhat pensive compared to his earlier carefree attitude. Oz could tell because of all the time he stared at Damien’s face during their tutoring sessions to make sure he understood what Oz was teaching him.

“Guess what Cal?” Vicky said excitedly.

[:)] “What?”

“We’re gonna be roommates!” Vicky cheered.

[:I] “Processing word roommate.” [:0] “That is great news, Friend Vicky! Am I correct in assuming the four of you will be my roommates?”

“Oh, no. It’s just me and Oz out of the four of us and two others we’ll introduce to you soon.” Vicky smiled.

[:D] “I look forward to meeting them.”

“Woah that’s great bro! Now you have a place to stay!” Scott said as he wagged his tail.

“Let’s continue the tour!” Vicky pumps her fist in the air.

“Yeah!” Scott follows her actions.

Now that Vicky and Scott are leading Calculester, Damien and Oz were the ones walking behind. Oz stayed back from the start for obvious reasons, he’s not very social. While he’s been doing well in interacting with new people, he’s in no shape to introduce others when he hasn’t even introduced himself. If it was back in his early days, Oz would probably be envious of Calculester’s lack of nerves. He wonders if the sentient computer could develop nerves aside from the fear of being destroyed in the future.

Oz turned to look at Damien, who apparently was already looking at him. _“Is something wrong?”_

“What? Why would you think something’s wrong?” Damien says casually.

 _“Well… you’re a lot quieter now and I didn’t see any unconscious bodies on my way catching up.”_ Oz glanced back over his shoulder for emphasis.

“Got bored.” Damien shrugged. “What were you and Blue talking about?” He couldn’t help but ask since he’s really curious.

Oz tilted his head. _“Didn’t you hear what she said earlier?”_

“Nah, I tuned her out.” Truthfully, he just wasn’t paying attention.

Oz let out a sigh. _“We’re taking in Calculester for the time being.”_

“You’re actually going to babysit him?” Damien looked a bit surprised.

 _“Something like that. It’s not really permanent but at the very least I think we’ll keep him until he enrolls here.”_ Oz elaborates.

“I know he’s a cool dude with electricity for blood and all but isn’t that a bit much?”

 _“Unlike a certain someone, I have a semblance of responsibility.”_ Oz said in a snarky tone.

Damien recalls some of the texts they exchanged last week. “What the hell happened to taking a break?”

 _“That’s not happening anytime soon. Probably next week if I’m lucky.”_ Oz looks up at nothing. _“Now that I think about it, I’ve never had such a jam-packed schedule before.”_ He sounds tired.

Damien had an inexplicable feeling of wanting to cheer Oz up. “Need help with anything?”

Oz pondered the offer for a while. There wasn’t really anything Damien could help him with considering his main skillsets, including his secret skillsets. But any help for the hardest hurdle in Oz’s plan to let Calculester integrate himself in Spooky High would be needed.

_“Well, if you know a way to erase the school’s policy on roboracism that would certainly help a lot.”_

“Sure, I could do that.” Damien replied.

Oz turned to look at Damien and raised a brow. _“Seriously? How?”_

“Uuuh…” Damien didn’t know how but he thought he’d just ask someone else to do it. “It doesn’t really matter as long as I get it done, right? It’s a trade secret.” He bluffed.

Oz eyed Damien skeptically. _“Hmmm… I guess I don’t really care how it’s done.”_ He shrugs. _“If you could do it before the end of next week it would be great.”_

With that said Damien left the group to figure out how he’s actually going to erase a school rule. Oz had a rough idea on how Damien could possibly fulfill his request within logical means but he’d rather not dwell on it and just sees how it goes because Spooky High tends to defy logic. If it fails, he’ll just have to resort to drastic measures that is the backup plan he doesn’t want to use.

They continued to show Calculester around the school but avoided the teacher’s lounge and party tree. Once they were done, Vicky and Oz went home early and said goodbye to Scott who joined the rave at the party tree. As Calculester rolled down the streets towards the apartment, the chair kept spinning around as he took in the sights. It gave Oz a nostalgic feeling.

* * *

**_Color Crew Group Chat_ **

**Vicky:** Me and Oz brought home a new roommate!

 **Brian:** New roommate?

 **Vicky:** Yep!

 **Brian:** That’s sudden

 **Oz:** Sorry, some things happened and we didn’t want to leave him alone.

 **Amira:** It’s a new guy?

 **Oz:** Not exactly.

 **Amira:** What’s that suppoused to mean?

 **Vicky:** *Supposed

 **Brian:** So what’s the new guy like?

 **Vicky:** Hehehe you’ll see when you get back >:3

 **Amira:** What’s with all the secrecy? We’re gonna see him soon anyway

 **Oz:** It’s quite simple but Vicky wants it to be a surprise.

 **Amira:** Aw cmon! Now I’m curious!

 **Vicky:** Then come home :3

 **Amira:** I swear if the guy’s annoying I’ll kick him out myself

 **Vicky:** Don’t worry, he’s a total sweetheart!

 **Brian:** Did you guys pick up a dog?

 **Amira:** It’s a dog?

 **Vicky:** Nope!

 **Brian:** Oz, what’s the new guy like?

 **Oz:** Like me :3

 **Vicky:** OMG that’s kind of true XD

 **Amira:** WTF?

 **Brian:** Screw this OMW home

 **Amira:** GAH! TELL ME SOMETHING THAT MAKES SENSE!

 **Vicky:** Join us in the welcoming!

 **Amira:** I SWEAR IF THIS IS A PRANK I’LL BURN YOUR BOOKS!

 **Oz:** Damien, is that you?

 **Brian:** LOL

 **Vicky:** X3

 **Amira:** DX

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Calculester is my 2nd favorite RO :D  
> My plans for the next in-story week is jam-packed which is why I got stuck XP  
> Probably late to ask this but should I change the rating to mature?


	25. A Natural Mastermind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Amira and Oz spend time together during the weekend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like I write about Amira the least out of the Color Crew so it's time for her to get more spotlight XD

Highly curious from their friend’s cryptic messages Brian stopped his cloud watching to go home. Amira was really curious too but not enough that she’d leave a party early when she’d meet up with this mysterious roommate later anyway.

While it was somewhat surprising to see that they got a new robot roommate, Brian thought it was more plausible than suddenly getting a new monster roommate. Hearing how Calculester was activated, it just made sense. When Oz said the new guy was like him, Brian had expected something more like a shadow monster. Well, it’d be more shocking if it was. As far as possibilities go, this seems normal.

Amira was fascinated by seeing their boxy roommate. She’s been expecting this day would come, the day they live with a robot. Although she expected that the robot would be created by Vicky, not by accident due to a random item Oz bought from the school’s resident shopkeeper. Maybe she should actually buy something there one of these days if anything interesting pops up. So far, Amira’s only done some odd jobs for Valerie for extra cash but never actually bought anything.

Being the one who bought the arcane floppy disk, Oz has decided to be Calculester’s unofficial guardian by default. Vicky really loved things that involve electrical and mechanical engineering including robotics, so of course she was also in favor of helping Calculester out in any way she can. Amira and Brian had no issue with the new arrangement, welcoming their new robot friend.

Since Calculester hasn’t finished installing all of his programs, they placed him in the lab to let him focus on it. He said that being close to a lot of his ‘brethren’ (electric equipment) gave him a simulated sense of security. Oz was planning on letting him stay there anyway unless he objected the idea, so it was fortunate. After all, the lab is the most secure place in the apartment.

With Calculester out of commission, Oz is withholding his plans to possibly upgrade Calculester’s body for the time being. As convenient Oz thinks it is, he still would like the robot to consent on his plans for body modifications, although by all logical sense he should agree to the idea. It would really be comforting to know he’s very logical but who knows what will happen once he’s fully installed? Maybe Oz should stop thinking about the worst possibilities and just focus on something else.

It is the weekend so a little break was overdue, things haven’t been too chaotic this week but constantly thinking of stuff has been exhausting. While Oz was confident in his own tests, he’s worried about other things, like how well Damien was doing on his test. It would be terrible if Damien still failed after all the effort he’s put in to studying… cramming during the last week.

Oz knows worrying won’t actually do anything but he can’t help it when his mind isn’t preoccupied with other stuff. That’s probably why he’s trying to busy himself with reading a book that has no practical use for him, written in an ancient language that needs him to concentrate to actually read. Actually, it might be useful if he could teach Damien some of the spells in that tome just so that he’d stop calling it a murder weapon instead of a book.

He’s grown fond of the demon after his visit to hell. It was a really fruitful trip and he didn’t even have to pull out the holy water spray during his stroll around the demon town. Everything went way better than he expected, perhaps a little too well. For unknown reasons Oz feels like sometimes people tell him too much personal stuff, not that he minds, he loves knowing more about those around him.

Oz always had a tendency to be somewhat meddlesome or so he’s been told by his friends. He did like to resort to ‘actions speak louder than words’ instead of talking because it was the less awkward option for him and his lack of finesse with words. While he’s gotten better at talking, Oz got the feeling Damien would be freaked out if Oz gave him too much attention so he settled on sending texts to ask him any questions if Damien had any trouble studying by himself.

If Oz wasn’t aware about boundaries, he’d have gone straight to hell every night just to make sure Damien was prepared the next day, which frankly, he was tempted to do. His solution to avoid thinking of certain things is to distract himself with other things to worry about before he can meddle into problems that might not even be an issue to begin with. Oz continued reading the tome that night.

* * *

It was Saturday and Amira brought Oz to go out. Normally, when Amira took Oz out on a weekend alone, it involves doing something illegal together. Since Oz has no particular plans, he agreed to go out with her. Something felt off, after a minute of riding in the car Oz realized what it was, Amira was driving within the speed limit and they left the apartment pretty early by the fire djinn’s standard, it wasn’t even noon yet.

Oz turned to look at Amira from the passenger seat. _“Ummm… maybe I should have asked this earlier but where are we going?”_

“That’s a secret.” Amira snickered. “You’ll know when we get there.”

 _“Okay.”_ Oz faced forward and leaned on the seat.

“Geez, aren’t you actually curious?” Amira was hoping for more of a reaction from the lack of information.

 _“Yeah, but I’ll know when we get there.”_ Oz shrugs. _“I might ask again if we don’t get there in one hour.”_

“I’m not taking you that far!”

 _“Then I guess I won’t be waiting long for an answer.”_ Oz said cheekily. _“You know mystery doesn’t bait me as easily like it does for you and Vicky.”_

“Welp, there goes that plan.” Amira shifts the gear. “Guess I’ll just have to do it the usual way then.”

 _“What do yo-.“_ Oz stopped talking due to the car suddenly accelerating. _“OF COURSE, YOU CAN’T JUST DRIVE NORMALLY!”_ He gripped the seat belt tightly.

Amira laughed at the predictable reaction. While Oz’s shouts do sting her brain a little, it’s so worth it to see him squirm. She finds it amusing how he still can’t handle high speed rides when he nonchalantly jumped head first that one time they tried skydiving. For someone that’s immortal, he sure has some weird hang-ups. At least some things never change.

They stopped somewhere downtown at a nondescript bar which made Oz confused. Once they got inside, he spotted a familiar gorgon at a corner booth and things started to more sense. He feels like he’s going to be dragged into a possibly complicated scheme.

“This is the expert you were talking about?” Vera raised a brow towards Amira.

“Yep!” Amira slung an arm around Oz. “With this guy nothing could possibly go wrong.” She smirked.

 _“What on earth are you getting me into?”_ Oz furrowed his brows.

“You didn’t tell him?” Vera said.

“Nope, because it’s a surprise!” Amira said cheerfully.

Vera sighed. “Then how do you know he can be useful?”

“Trust me, he’s the perfect guy for the job.” Amira said confidently.

This would be the part where Oz contradicts her if Vera wasn’t there since he has no idea what’s even going on. But he’s not that close with Vera to feel comfortable making any needless remarks. He’s not exactly sure on what she thinks of him other than a useful contract partner, he had to sign an actual contract the last time they met up for a job.

Vera stared at Oz for a moment. She’s been keeping tabs on him and as far as she could tell, Oz was a diligent student that follows school rules. There was nothing particularly outstanding about him aside from his intelligence and he seems to keep to himself most of the time. She was very wary of him due to his lack of apparent intent but seeing him being literally dragged around by his friends more than once dispersed her wariness.

She thought that he’s probably a pushover and to some extent that might be true so she expected him to sign the work contract she made without question. Unfortunately for her, Oz actually reads contracts so he avoided some of the loophole clauses she tried to slip in, like the reduced payment and no ambiguous favors whatsoever. Being caught trying to cheat him, she was forced to revise the contract to their initial agreement.

While unsure of other skills he possibly has aside from somehow knowing cards, there’s no denying that Oz was crafty and Vera really needed a second opinion on her current plan. Amira’s a good advisor but she’s also coming up empty on how to possibly execute this plan without getting caught.

“So, how good are you at stealing stuff undetected?” Vera asks.

Oz tilted his head at the sudden question. _“Um, well, I’ve never been caught stealing before so… maybe good?”_

Amira gave Oz a questioning glance. “What do you mean maybe good? You stole gigantic lab equipment without anybody noticing!”

“He did what?” Vera looked shocked.

Oz started to fidget nervously under Amira’s arm. “This guy here could steal the Statue of Liberty without anyone noticing if he wanted to.” Amira said smugly.

 _“Amira! Why on earth would you say that!?”_ Oz scolded Amira.

“I mean, you could, right?”

_“Technically yes, but that’s not the point!”_

“Then what’s the problem?”

_“First of all, that was a very unnecessary statement. Secondly, it’s a stupid thing to do that has no merit. Lastly, where the hell would I even put that thing if we did steal it?”_

“It’s just an example Oz, no need to think too deeply on it.”

_“Then don’t say such outlandish things!”_

“Well, I gotta hype you up somehow.”

_“You haven’t even told me why I’m here yet!”_

“I’m still here you two.” Vera hissed. “Stop having a private conversation that I can’t hear half of. It’s very rude.”

“Oh sorry!” Amira rubbed the back of her neck. “He’s just very nervous.”

 _“If you must know, I was just telling her how stupid her statement was.”_ Oz said bluntly.

“What?” Amira stared at Oz with shock as she released her arm from him. “Now you’re gonna out me just like that!?”

 _“Then don’t spew nonsense.”_ Oz said curtly before turning to Vera. _“Anyway, let’s just say I’m adequate at stealing without notice and leave it at that.”_

The short interaction made Vera feel a bit of whiplash that she forgot to ask how serious Amira was when she said that Oz could steal large lab equipment or why he’d do that to begin with. At the very least, Oz has been true to their word with every deal they make so she’ll take his statement as truth.

“Cutting straight to business. We’re planning a jewelry heist.” Vera stated. “Do you think you can handle that?”

 _“What kind of jewelry heist?”_ Oz said with a hint of interest in his voice.

“High stakes, tight security, possibly deadly.” Vera tapped her fingers on the table. “That’s all I’ll say unless you decide to join us.”

 _“Okay, I’m in.”_ Oz replied immediately.

Vera was taken aback by how fast he agreed. “Are you sure about that? Failure isn’t an option and there’s no backing out.”

 _“I’m sure.”_ Oz nodded.

“Alright! I knew you’d say yes!” Amira slammed her fist on the table.

Oz rolled his eyes. _“Can I get the details now?”_

Vera handed Oz a binder. “That’s all the information I got. We’ve planned out on how to take down their security systems and take the jewelry but the only problem is getting away from the scene before any guards notice.” She crossed her arms. “They have an annoying number of guards and I’d prefer if things didn’t get messy.”

As easy as it would be to just kill all the guards to steal all the jewels in that vault, it would be too obvious and unlike a certain prince of hell, Vera isn’t exactly immune from the law if she gets caught. She has her ways to slip out of the legal system but that would cost a lot of money. The cops are already on her trail but they don’t have enough proof to catch her.

Their original plan is for Amira to disable the security systems while Vera stole the jewelry but they had no getaway plan hence why they needed a third member that they can trust. Damien was crossed off immediately from Vera’s list because he can’t be subtle to save his life in any of their previous endeavors. Out of the rest of her trusted friends, there weren’t any that were suitable for the job. Amira said she knew the perfect team member so here they are.

Oz took his time to examine everything in the binder Vera gave him. It’s quite impressive on how much information she got in order to initiate this heist he thought. While he has no particular interest in jewels, he’s certainly intrigued to do a jewelry heist since it’s something he can’t do on his own and it’s came up a few times when he and Amira talked about hypothetical crimes they’d commit. Plus, there’s no way he could let Amira go alone with Vera when she said it’s potentially deadly.

Amira ordered a drink while they waited for Oz since he’s not one to skim files. She figured that she can kill 3 birds with one stone by bringing Oz into the mix. One, she and Vera really can’t think of a solid foolproof plan. Two, Oz has always wanted to do a complicated heist so it’s her way of paying him back for getting Vera to ask her out on that bowling outing. Three, Oz is sure to come up with a good plan so that nothing goes wrong.

Finished reading all the information he needed, Oz closed the binder and placed it on the table. The details of the plan were also written in there so he sees the problem they face with a 2-person team. Timing was of the essence and that’s the main problem but that’s easily solvable with a little extra preparation that Oz can handle.

“So, do you have any ideas on how to pull this off?” Vera looked up from her phone.

 _“I do.”_ Oz looks at Vera. _“B-but before I get into that, I h-have a request.”_

Vera narrowed her eyes. “What is it?”

_“C-can you be the driver for this heist?”_

“Dude, seriously?” Amira gave Oz an unimpressed look.

“Why?” Vera was confused.

_“Because I can’t drive and I don’t want Amira to do it.”_

Amira did have a habit of driving recklessly and Vera wants the operation to be as subtle as possible. “Fine, I’m driving. Now tell me how we can get past the guard situation.”

_“It’s simple. We just leave imitation jewels in place of the real ones so they won’t even realize that anything is missing in the first place.”_

While that sounds like a great idea. “And where would we get this imitation? That jewelry we’re stealing has a very intricate design and it would take a forger a long time to make. We’ll have to hit them on Tuesday night and there’s no other window of opportunity. So, unless you somehow know a fast-working counterfeiter, that won’t work.” Vera says.

 _“Well…”_ Oz looked up at the ceiling for a while before looking back at Vera. _“I know a guy that can do it. If you let me borrow the pictures, they’ll have it done by Monday.”_

Vera’s eyes widen. “Really? How much will it cost?”

_“D-don’t worry about it. They owe me a favor. B-besides it’s not like it’ll be a perfect imitation, just good enough to fool guards from a distance.”_

“Then I’d really love to get their contact number.” Vera gave a sly smile.

_“Y-you wouldn’t w-want that.”_

“Why not? They sound like a really skillful forger.”

_“Their normal price is half the market price of whatever you want copied.”_

THAT’S OUTRAGOUS! Vera thought. “Then how can you be sure they’ll do it for free this time?”

_“It was a really huge favor they owe.”_

Vera’s starting to become skeptical of this plan and this mysterious forger sounds very sketchy. “Hmmm… just in case they don’t come through do you have any better ideas?”

_“I’m positive it’ll work but if you want a backup plan, I can store all the jewels in a pocket dimension in the case we do get caught so they can’t pin anything on us.”_

Vera stroked her chin in contemplation when she realized something. “Wait.” She turned to Oz. “Did you just say jewels? As in plural?”

 _“Yes.”_ Oz tilted his head. _“Are we not getting everything you had in this binder?”_ He placed his hand on the binder.

Amira and Vera looked at each other with a hint of shock on their faces. They only planned on getting one of the jewelries in that vault since they won’t have time to take more. Vera had photos of anything worth taking in the binder and didn’t actually specify which one they’ll be stealing since she was going to swipe it herself.

Amira turned to Oz “You’re telling me those were plans to steal everything?”

 _“Not everything”_ Oz shook his head and opened up the binder to the page with all the jewelry pictures. _“Just the ones worth taking.”_

Vera was baffled since she had no idea how he thought they’d pull that off with the small timeframe they had to work with. At least there was no way she’d pull that off, but if Oz thinks that’s possible then he should do the most dangerous job.

“You know what? You handle the stealing part while me and Amira will handle everything else.” Vera said.

_“Sure, I can handle that.”_

They continued to discuss their heist plans in the bar until Vera was sure that they’ve covered everything that could possibly go wrong. Amira didn’t say much since she thought it’s all practically guaranteed and she had nothing to add. Before they left, Vera let Oz hold on to the plan binder and reminded them both that nobody should know about their heist including their roommates.

“That went well.” Amira said as she was driving. “I didn’t know you had underground contacts.”

 _“What are you talking about?”_ Oz was in the backseat looking at the pictures of the jewelry they’re going to steal.

“Y’know, that forger guy. When did you get to know such shady people?”

_“Oh, that? There is no counterfeiting guy. I just made that up.”_

“WHAT!?” Amira pulled the breaks, halting the car.

_“Woah! Why did you suddenly stop!?”_

Amira turned around to look at Oz. “How the hell are we supposed to pull off the heist if you were lying about the most important part!?”

Oz furrowed his brows in confusion. _“I mean, there’s plan B and C if you weren’t paying attention and I’ll be making the imitation jewels myself so I wasn’t completely lying.”_

“You can make fake jewels?” Amira looked surprised.

_“That’s what I just said.”_

“Then why didn’t you just say so instead of making up an imaginary forger?”

Oz raised a brow. _“Do you really need me to answer that?”_

Amira took a moment to actually think about it. Right, if Vera knew Oz could easily make imitation jewels, she’d take advantage of that. “You know, you’re still showing off a lot, all things considered.”

_“I don’t think so, it’s not like I planned this heist or anything.”_

“Oz, we were only going to steal one jewelry from that vault.”

Oz processed what Amira just said. _“Why didn’t you say something earlier!?”_ He clutched his head. _“If that’s the case, I’m basically the mastermind of this heist!”_

“Well… you made it sound so easy and Vera kind of rolled with it so I did too.”

 _“This is the worst.”_ Oz lied down on the backseat.

“Awww… don’t worry about it. I’m sure everything will go according to plan.”

 _“You know that’s not the problem.”_ Oz whined.

“I don’t get how you’re so confident on robbing a high security jewel vault but have an internal crisis for showing off.”

 _“I’m not showing off!”_ Oz retorted.

“Okay, okay.” Amira snickered. “So, what do you want to do now?”

Oz groaned. _“Let’s go to the mall. I need to buy some supplies.”_

“Supplies for what?”

_“What else? To make the imitation jewels we’re going to use for the heist.”_

“Oooh, could you make something for me?”

_“I charge half the price of the original.”_

“You’re actually serious about that?”

_“Material costs not included yet for the overall price.”_

“Now you just sound like a commercial.”

_“I’ll make you something if you drive safely and go buy the materials while I wait in the car.”_

“Nice!”

And so, Amira drives safely and bought everything Oz needed as he sulked in the backseat until they got home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The actual heist will probably be very brief so don't look forward to it. This is basically just a setup to make Oz busy XP


	26. Scheming Madness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a regular whacky week.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Roboracism is the practice of pulling out torches and pitchforks in the presents of a sentient robot to chase them out and destroy them. It is not just racism towards robots. I thought it needed to be clarified.

When they got back to the apartment, Amira had to drag Oz out of the car as he kept sulking, then she tossed him on the couch unceremoniously. While she could have laid him down more gently, she didn’t because she was a bit peeved on what he did. Oz didn’t just send her to buy supplies for their heist, he included a grocery shopping list mixed in with what he needed and it was too late to stop when she noticed.

“I can’t believe you tricked me into running an errand.” Amira said exasperated as she slumped down on a beanbag chair. “I’m supposed to be free of chores for another 2 weeks!”

Oz rolled over on the couch. _“You could’ve just left out the grocery shopping if you wanted to.”_ He said lazily.

“And how the hell can I tell what’s important or not when you mixed everything up!?” Amira’s hair flared up as she tossed her hands in the air.

 _“I put eggs second on the list.”_ Oz said monotone.

“You might use eggs… SOMEHOW!?”

They bickered for a while until Oz stopped being cheeky and Amira calmed down. Oz didn’t really plan on making Amira do an errand but as the swirling mess of things that needed to be done crossed his mind as he was writing up the list, he thought it would be more efficient. He had given her an out by putting something obvious on the top of the list so it’s on her for falling for it.

Amira wasn’t seriously pissed. She just can’t believe Oz had the brain power to pull a fast one on her in his mopey state and she fell for it. In hindsight, she should have realized that there was too much on the list he handed to her and that a majority of the items were food. She found it hard to tell when Oz is acting strangely because he’s always acting weirdly from her perspective.

It was surprising to see him lying to Vera of all people and the only sign he showed was stuttering. Granted, he stutters a lot when nervous in general which makes it harder to tell when he’s lying or just plain nervous. Amira’s tried to figure out Oz’s tells using poker games in the past but he’s always so blank and stiff regardless of what cards he had that all she learned was that Oz has the ultimate poker face even if he sucks at poker. The effectiveness of bluffs and taunts were questionable since it just made him think too long.

* * *

Later that night, Oz went down to the lab to make the fake jewelry they needed for the heist. He didn’t really have the raw craftsmanship to make convincing forgeries manually but he was proficient in alchemy. Transmutation got the job done, although he had to concentrate a lot to shape them perfectly which is the most time-consuming process. It’s actually very fast in comparison to making them any other way.

Oz didn’t really see much of a difference between real and fake when it comes to items like jewelry which has no practical use. But just like brands and art, people seem to put a high price on them for some reason. As Oz was half done with making all the copies they needed, a loud whirling sound rung throughout the lab from where Calculester is placed.

[:D] “All systems fully operational.”

 _“That’s great.”_ Oz smiled with his eyes.

[:)] “Greetings Friend Oz. I must thank you and your friends for providing me with shelter as I adjust to my new surroundings.”

 _“Well, they’re sleeping right now so you can tell them in the morning.”_ Oz crouch a little so that he’s on eye level with Calculester’s monitor. _“Anyway, there’s something we should discuss if you don’t mind.”_

[:D] “Of course! I like conversing with my fellow organic life forms.”

Oz wonders if he should correct him or not but the facts of his existence aren’t really important right now. Oz explained his idea to upgrade the sentient library computer and the benefits of doing it. His pitch was met with a resounding agreement. Apparently, being stuck in an old computer with only 512MB of RAM severely limited his software capabilities to run certain emotional algorithms, whatever that means. Plus, it would be very convenient to have a humanoid body he said.

The only problem was how would they upgrade him. Oz had little affinity with the inner workings of modern technology and Vicky hasn’t reached the level of skill where she can make a functioning robot from scratch. Luckily, Calculester said he should be able to make blueprints of how his body should be made with some time and research, so Oz hooked him up with the internet.

When Oz told Vicky on how they were going to upgrade Calculester, she was ecstatic. The group and Calculester spent the whole day discussing on how they’ll make it work. Vicky would be in charge with Brian assisting since he’s also pretty good with engineering. Amira and Oz would gather all the parts they can’t easily get. Then when all that was settled, Amira and Vicky kept suggesting functions that could be added to the new robot body while Brian vetoed anything too ridiculous. Oz went away to finish his preparation for the heist.

* * *

Nobody really stressed about midterm practical exams in Spooky High, since it’s basically just a scheduled dungeon challenge. All you have to do is survive and you’ll pass. Sure, it’s dangerous and failure usually means death but at least it’s not a written test lol. The student’s performance in the randomized dungeon puzzles is still graded but that’s more like extra credit for survivors. Anyone who fails gets a week of detention, that’s right, you get detention if you die and the shame of failing.

The teachers would schedule a day when the students had to come to school to take the exam and they’re free to skip the rest of the days because there’s nothing to do. But being rebellious rascals that they are, many students come to school when they didn’t have to for once just to hang around. Damien had his exam on Monday and it was depressingly easy that he was disappointed that he didn’t get to at least punch the school dragon but at least now he’s free for the rest of the week.

Damien had finally come up with an ingenious plan on how to erase roboracism from the school policy that doesn’t involve burning the school down. Make Liam do something. Yep, that was it, that was the whole plan. It took everything in Damien to restrain himself and not just ask Oz how the hell he was supposed to do it when that would beat the point of Oz asking him to do it. It was clearly a difficult task that should in no way be entrusted to him.

Truthfully Damien didn’t expect Oz to accept his help on something clearly out of his expertise and decline like he usually does. So, in conclusion, either Oz really needs his help or he thinks Damien can actually do it. Both sounds rather preposterous when he thought about it. But having taken the task without much thought, he’s going to accomplish it one way or another and it’s always great to challenge authority.

As Damien and Liam were hanging out with the vampire ranting about how pathetically easy the practical exams are, Damien casually mentions how outdated roboracism was with the subtlety of a brick being thrown to someone’s face. Ignoring the lack of correlation, it had with their current topic of conversation, Liam did find it intriguing considering who he’s talking to. As an advocate for diversity, Liam suggested a strongly worded petition in order to rectify the school’s policy.

Damien thought it was a lame idea but there’s usually a 50-50 percent chance that Liam’s petitions go through. They took 2 days to forcefully get students to sign the petitions until they had a decent amount. Unfortunately, PGS’s roborasicm was too strong to be overturned by a petition, unlike the cafeteria’s lunch menu. Unsatisfied by the results, Liam brought the fight online but Damien decided it was better to try something else.

He had only 3 days left to work with and he doesn’t have a backup plan. Vera has been busy with something the last few days, Polly is only good at coming up with pranks, Scott isn’t the brains in their duo and Miranda… oh right! Miranda might be able to do something or more specifically her serfs could do something.

Bringing his predicament to the mermaid princess, she was more than happy to help as she showed off her serfs. It took a lot of needless silverware chatter he had to sit through to fill in the gap until her thinking serf came up with an idea that could work. Miranda will use her kingdom’s cryo-freeze lobbyists to lobby the government and make roboracism abolished as a school policy. The lobbyists did such a good job that roboracism was illegal by Friday along with it gone from the school policy.

By now, Damien didn’t really remember why he was doing all that throughout the week aside that Oz had asked him to do a favor. Incidentally, he just got his report card today and he got passing grade all the written exams, so he can’t wait to tell Oz the good news in person.

* * *

During Monday, Amira and Oz went to some other shady establishment to meet up with Vera. Amira hadn’t seen any of the imitation jewelry Oz allegedly made because he refused to show her, saying it’s to keep the illusion of a third party making them real. She finds it slightly annoying on how overly cautious he can be but at least he told her about it instead of hiding the facts when he could’ve easily done so.

Both Amira and Vera were bewitched by the supposedly fake jewelry Oz showed them, they looked exactly like the pictures that Amira thought they could just sell these off instead of doing the heist. However, both Vera and Oz disagreed with that statement. As impressive as they look, they’re still fakes made with cheap material. Vera wanted the real things and Oz said that they wouldn’t past inspection for serious buyers.

They hashed out their plans one more time before the big heist tomorrow. Oz actually had his exam tomorrow and that made Vera worry for a moment, thinking it might affect his performance. Amira vouched for Oz that it won’t, with Oz ending it an outrageous bold claim again if they somehow mess everything up. Vera still can’t tell if he’s just extremely confident or foolish, history would have her believe it’s the former. Amira knew it was just him preparing for the worst, despite how good his odds are.

Oz was kind of anxious for his first big heist, which he incidentally turned from a snatch-and-grab into grand larceny. The main reason he’s never done anything large scale is because there was no need to, it’s just in his nature to prefer his crimes to be unnoticed as long as possible or not noticed at all. If he’s lucky the plan will go smoothly and nobody would even know there was a robbery until a few days pass. Worst case scenario he fumbles up, triggers an alarm, the cops show up, everybody dies in a hail of magical bullets. Yep, no pressure at all.

It was Tuesday night, the night of the heist. Amira and Vera were waiting for Oz in a disposable black SUV at an agreed upon place. They both wore completely black outfits and have clown masks to cover their faces when they start the heist. When Oz finally showed up, they both had confused looks on their faces. He was wearing a gray 3-piece suit and a trilby as he carried a black office suitcase. Oz entered the backseat of the car.

“Are you seriously wearing that?” Vera eyes Oz skeptically.

 _“Yes.”_ Oz tipped his hat.

“Why?” Amira said clearly confused.

 _“It doesn’t really matter what I wear does it not?”_ Oz sounded posh.

Vera turned to Amira. “Is he seriously alright?”

 _“C-can we just go? I’m fine.”_ Oz said meekly. _“I-it really doesn’t matter what I wear.”_ He covered his face with his hat.

Vera would like to question it further but there wasn’t much time to idle and out of the 3 of them, it really didn’t matter what Oz wore if what he told her back at BAR was true. She was just expecting him to either use his usual outfit or something black as is tradition. Without any other issues, Vera started to drive them to the jewelry vault.

As they’ve discussed, Amira and Vera took control of the security room before Oz could go inside the vault. They disabled all the alarms, camera recordings, booby traps and anti-magic field that would prevent anyone from using magic or teleporting. They gave Oz a Bluetooth earpiece to signal him when he should move or if anything went wrong on their end.

Oz entered the building through the front door and casually strolled towards where the vault was. Amira found that weird since he could have just teleported but guessed it must have been because he hasn’t mentioned it to Vera. The jewel vault itself didn’t have any cameras in it to avoid being hacked so they wouldn’t be able to see Oz inside. Vera had gotten the code to unlock the vault and the keys so he was able to enter easily.

After about 5 minutes of Oz being in the vault, something unexpected happened. Apparently, all the security system had a separate backup generator that automatically turns on if it’s disabled from the main system for too long. They told Oz to pull out as soon as possible as they fled to the car but after 10 minutes of waiting, he didn’t come out. Amira tried to message Oz but there was no signal, the whole area has been jammed off.

It was possibly the worst outcome and they were starting to panic but for some reason the alarms still haven’t been tipped off. Vera was ready to cut her losses and drive away but Amira insisted that they wait until Oz comes back or she’ll run in there and tip off security herself. They stayed there for around half an hour of awkward silence in which they couldn’t even use their phones for anything important before Oz finally showed up.

Oz practically dived into the backseat. _“Let’s hurry up and go.”_ He said rather tiredly.

Vera already had the car started once Oz was in view so they left immediately. After reaching a rather safe distance away from where they were Amira and Vera let out a sigh of relief when the didn’t hear any sirens coming after them.

Amira turned back to see Oz lying face flat on the backseat. “What took you so long!? I was so worried!”

_“Well, I couldn’t really get out of there fast with my magic sealed and then I had to deal with the guards.”_

“A guard caught you? How did you escape and not trip the alarms?” Vera looked at the review mirror to see Oz but he was too low to be seen.

 _“That’s… complicated.”_ Oz got up and handed Amira his suitcase. _“I got everything so I’ll be taking my leave now.”_ He melted and disappeared.

“What happened to him!?” Vera said surprised.

Amira sat back down on the passenger seat holding Oz’s suitcase. “Probably went back home, he usually does that when he’s stressed out.”

When they reached their getaway destination and opened the suitcase Oz left behind, it was filled with all of the jewelry they intended to take. Upon further inspection, Vera could tell that they were the real deal and not the fakes Oz showed her yesterday. She has no idea how he pulled it off but he certainly delivered so further details don’t really matter.

Just as Amira guessed, Oz was back at the apartment and changed back into his usual clothes before lying down on his bed. He’s so glad things didn’t go terribly wrong and that he decided to wear a formal disguise so that he could impersonate someone that should be there. Binge watching all those Burn Notice and White Collar episodes in the past actually helped him squeeze by without resorting to drastic measures.

Back when all the security systems turned back on, Oz had already swapped everything they needed. Thanks to all of the info Vera gathered, he knew where all the booby traps and alarm lasers were to avoid them. When he finally got out of the vault, he couldn’t use his stealth mode so it was inevitable that he’d bump into some security guards.

Instead of avoiding them, he boldly approached some in order to appear less suspicious. It’s hard to be suspicious of someone when they act like they’re supposed to be there. While it was good that none the guards questioned him about anything but it took some time to shake one of the off as he ranted about terrible work hours with low pay due to Oz saying he was working overtime because of an annoying client. Perhaps he should have picked a less friendly persona.

Well, at least now he can cross off doing a jewelry heist as something he’s experienced. The whole making Calculester a body project is still in its prep stage since they still haven’t completed the blueprints yet and want to make something that can be done before the next semester starts. Oz will just have to order all the special material through Vera as payment for his part since he’s sure she has the resources to get them pretty easily with all the illegal businesses she has.

* * *

It was Wednesday and Amira just finished her practical exam. She was in high spirits after last night’s successful heist. Amira also scored a future dinner date as an apology from Vera for almost leaving Oz behind. When Amira told him that, Oz said he didn’t actually mind and that it was probably better if they did leave him behind in the case it was an actual emergency he couldn’t get out of. Amira smacked him on the head for saying that.

Naturally everything was settled and now the fire djinn had some extra cash she could burn. She spotted Valerie and bought a cool looking totem for 10 bucks. As she was examining the cool totem, Polly and Miranda showed up, also interested in the totem. The totem’s mouth stretches open farther than it physically should be able to and a swarm of locusts bursts forth. Woah, that was wicked.

Miranda said that the totem wanted a sacrifice and so the 3 gals start a giant sacrificial bonfire of weed. This offering somehow worked and the dark deity totem seemed happy. Having nothing better to do, Amira, Polly and Miranda hung out with their new li’l buddy to do various things. Go clubbing, meeting Miranda’s suitors, sunbathing, picnics, ect.

Of course, they couldn’t just have fun without someone ruining it. The Coven showed up, spewing some rude comments about how their cute li’l buddy is evil and would destroy the world if not dealt with. Not wanting to put up with those buzzkills, Amira used slight of hand to make them think the totem disappeared, even though she just hid it behind their backs passing it along with Polly and Miranda. This trick somehow worked as The Coven left having to be buzzkills somewhere else.

* * *

On Wendsday, Brian and Oz took Calculester outside to look around town. As useful as it is to surf the net, Calculester wanted to see organic life forms in their natural habitat with his own optic sensors and compare them to the data he’s collected. Brian decided to accompany him to make sure he doesn’t get in trouble and Oz thought it would be a fun to just walk around after the hectic night he just had.

Vicky was too hyped up to study the blueprints Calculester finally finished that morning to join them. Amira has wandered off somewhere since she was still free of responsibility and was no longer needed to help get materials since Vera would be handling that, she usually won’t be back home in a few days when this happens.

The zombie, computer and embodiment of fear headed towards the park. Being in the middle of a city, there wasn’t a lot of nature around, the sight of all the greenery seemed to really intrigue Calculester. They ended up spending the whole day there, looking at various mundane plants, bugs and occasionally small critters. The only incident that happened was that Calculester almost fell into the pond trying to get a closer look at ducks.

Thursday was a little rowdy at the apartment with Calculester freaking out when Brian got back from his practical exam holding his head in his hands. The poor computer’s systems overheated trying to compute what was happening when he saw the zombie’s head talk despite being decapitated. Vicky had to calm him down with plausible logical explanations while Oz worked on sewing Brian’s head back together.

Seeing how easily Calculester almost literally had a meltdown from seeing something illogical, Vicky added a lot more fans in Calculester’s blueprint just to be safe. Brian felt kind of bad for accidentally making their robot friend go into the mechanical equivalent of a panic attack. Oz though it was a good thing in the long run, Spooky High is such a chaotic place that he’d have to get used to illogical situations happening eventually.

Oz has found it concerning that Calculester can’t distinguish truth from lies or even fiction and reality. As a result, Oz cut off the robot’s internet access for the time being and just transferred some digital encyclopedias into his hard drive to process. He wonders if he’s being overprotective or just the right amount of concern for a sentient robot about to be released upon the monster world full of chaos. Bad influences aside, he just hopes that they can survive without constant supervision.

* * *

Friday was the day that midterm test scores were announced and report cards are magically sent to all the students respective guardians. Oz is technically responsible for himself (he also doesn’t legally exist), so he already got his report card but that wasn’t the case for his friends. Amira and Vicky’s get sent to their parents while Brian’s was sent to the Undead Welfare Union (UWU).

Oz and Vicky went to school to check on everyone’s test scores while Brian stayed home with Calculester. In usual Vicky fashion, she hugged Oz tightly when she saw that every one passed and she got an A+ for every subject. Being more aware of the obvious stares they’re attracting in a crowd, Oz became flustered and push Vicky back to separate the hug. Vicky giggled and gave a small apology before going off somewhere.

Before Oz could go back to checking the test results, he was suddenly whisked away. Already used to being dragged round and usually unseen, Oz has slow reflex when it comes to being taken by surprise. It took a few seconds for him to register what was going on. Seeing a red hand from the arms over his shoulders gave him a clear indication of who was pushing him along.

Oz looked up at Damien. _“You could’ve at least said hey. I wasn’t done looking.”_

“You probably got A on everything anyway so there’s no need to check.” Damien said confidently.

 _“While that might be true, I wasn’t checking my results. I was checking everyone’s result in general.”_ Damien raised a brow at Oz. _“Literally everyone. I want to see what subject others find hard or easy but I guess I can just check later.”_

“Did you see my results yet?”

 _“No, you pulled me away before I could.”_ Oz looked down. _“H-how did you do?”_ He said nervously.

“I’ll tell you later when we get to an emptier place.” Damien said smugly.

If Oz wasn’t busy thinking about the worst possibilities, he would have realized that it was a good sign. As they walked through the hallway, Oz felt a faint ominous aura that somehow seemed familiar. Looking around, there were bodies with melted faces on the ground.

 _“Did something happen here?”_ Oz pointed at a body.

Damien looked down. “No clue. Probably some shit the Prankmasterz pulled.”

_“Hmmm.”_

It wasn’t the weirdest thing that’s happened at Spooky High, so they both ignored the obvious signs the of possible calamity.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like this chapter was seriously jumbled up XD


	27. Ruler of the Dark Realms

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A Dark Deity is unleashed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got caught up with thinking of future events I had a hard time writing the present events XP

It’s been a week since Damien last saw Oz. The demon was excited to tell Oz that he managed to make roboracism illegal. It would’ve been easy to just text him but then Damien wouldn’t be able to see his reaction.

Damien felt a tinge of irritation when he spotted Oz, who’s once again being hugged by Vicky. This is the third time that Damien saw the frankengirl invade the fear monster’s personal space in public. As soon as Vicky was out of sight, Damien took his chance to pull Oz away before she possibly came back. Feeling that Oz made no attempt to struggle, his earlier irritation was replaced with smugness.

With how Oz pushed Vicky back, Damien was ready for Oz to slip out of his arms which didn’t happen. That basically means Oz likes him better than Vicky, right? Even if it’s only for this instant, he’ll take it as a win. Win what? Who the fuck knows?

Damien brought Oz into an empty classroom then handed him a newspaper with a smirk on his face. Oz took the newspaper and read the front page, two phobias popped up on his shoulders to join him. There was an article that said peace between monsters and robots have been instated, hence making roboracism illegal.

Oz looked at Damien. _“You did this?”_

Damien placed his hands on his hips. “Yeah, I told you I knew a way.” He said proudly.

 _“This is great!”_ Oz smiled with his eyes. _“Thanks a lot Damien. I’m sure it wasn’t easy to pull off.”_

Seeing Oz’s happy reaction filled Damien with satisfaction. “It was nothing.” Since he literally did nothing in the actual process but it’s the thought that counts, right? “I’d tell you how I did it but then I’d have to kill you.” He joked.

 _“Pfft.”_ Oz covered his nonexistent mouth and laughs lightly. _“I’d like to see you try.”_

Damien thought that the act was somehow both really adorable and metal. While the comeback was bold, the tone Oz used was playful without a hint of sarcasm. This is definitely better than texting.

“You wanna know?” Damien said playfully taunting.

Oz shook his head. _“No, it’s fine. I did say I don’t care how you do it.”_

“And here I thought I’d get to see how you handle a real fight.”

 _“I’m a pacifist.”_ Oz shrugs. _“The closest thing to a real fight you’ll get out of me is a lot of dodging.”_

“That’s lame.” Damien huffs. “What if someone constantly attacked you and won’t stop? Are you just gonna keep dodging them without fighting back?”

_“Hmmm… I have my ways to stop a fight without fighting. The easiest solution is to just teleport away.”_

They banter for some time about how Damien thinks it’s a waste that Oz doesn’t use his powers more often other than to store items. Eventually the conversation shifted to Calculester and how he’ll be a new student next semester. It reminded Damien of why he was doing what he was doing for the whole week. Hearing about how the sentient library computer will be a full-on robot sounded metal as fuck.

_“Anyway, you still haven’t told me how you did on midterms.”_

“I passed, obviously.” Damien gave a wide grin. “Afterall I had a-.” His words were caught in his throat as Oz suddenly clasped both his hands and got closer.

 _“That’s fantastic!”_ Oz smiled with his eyes. _“I knew you could do it.”_ He said cheerfully.

A blush appeared on Damien’s face as he felt his heart skip a beat. Since his eyes are closed to smile, Oz didn’t see Damien’s reaction. Damien was just about ready to explode (in more ways than one) just like their second meeting but held it in with internal screaming. Suddenly, all the windows shattered and the ground violently shook. Before Damien can process what’s actually happening, everything was completely shrouded in darkness.

* * *

There was nothing. Absolutely nothing around. No sight, no sound, no smell. Their many eyes blinked in confusion, they can still see themselves. They can’t tell if they’re right-side up or upside down, it feels like their floating. They tried to move around but can’t tell if they’re actually going anywhere. They let out a loud screech that seems to just disappear into nowhere, there were no echoes. There was nothing. There is nothing. There will be nothing.

No. No. No. No. NONONONONO! Not again! Are they trapped again!? Stuck not being able to do anything! After finally being free and having fun, they can’t just get trapped again! How did they even end up here? What is this place? How long have they been here? In their confusion, they started to thrash around, hoping to find something, anything. In the end it was useless, still nothing.

They don’t know how much time has passed. It could have been an hour or a day and they wouldn’t be able to tell the difference. Unlike their last prison where they could see out of, there’s nothing to help them tell how much useless time has passed in this eternal darkness. It’s… lonely. Will they be trapped here with no way out this time? No convoluted loophole ritual? Be truly isolated for eternity?

Finally, they could feel something other than themselves. A familiar presence was there, somewhere, within the darkness. They still couldn’t see anything but something was definitely there.

 **“** **FeAr? Is ThAt YoU?** **”** They said distortedly with their many mouths.

There was no immediate response but they’re sure that Fear is there. Soon they could see a splash of blinding yellow appear from the darkness in the figure of a slender inky monster which blended into the surroundings. If they didn’t have so many eyes, they would have thought an invisible being appeared.

 _“I didn’t expect you to remember me Z’Gord.”_ The monster in yellow said to them telepathically. The voice sounded hollow.

Z’Gord blinked their many eyes at the monster they assume is Fear. They looked so harmless compared to what they expected Fear would be like in a corporeal form. Of course, they’d remember Fear. Out of all the various beings that they’ve met in eons of existence, Fear was the first being that neither feared or worshiped them.

Z’Gord, Ruler of The Dark Realms was a being ripped from the fabric of reality and animated with equal parts raw malice and the concept of despair. For millennia they’ve been told that they we meant to be a Dark Deity whose only purpose was bringing this reality to its undoing. They believed it was what they had to be, their only reason for existence, they accepted the role.

As far as Z’Gord was concerned there were only 2 types of beings. Those that feared them and those that worshiped them. Rival deities and so-called heroes feared them, challenging them to try and destroy them. Most of them failed until they were sealed. Their cult worshiped them and offered many sacrifices to them. There weren’t any other kind of beings around until Fear appeared.

They didn’t really do anything at first, just lurking in the shadows. Thinking it was another threat, Z’Gord attacked them on instinct, taking out a portion of the cultists in the process. However, the attack had no effect and the mysterious eldritch being didn’t retaliate. For some reason, Z’Gord couldn’t read their mind which could only mean 2 things. They’re more powerful than Z’Gord or they had no thoughts. It was probably the former, which made their passive behavior even more perplexing.

The being in the shadows never physically appeared or said a word but their presence was distinct enough for Z’Gord to know when they’re around. After the first few visits, Z’Gord noticed that the shadow being was siphoning the fear off of the cultists. With a lack of what to call the shadow being, they decided to call them Fear. While Fear never said anything, they would respond in some way when Z’Gord spoke to them using the shadows.

One day, Fear just stopped showing up. Z’Gord thought nothing of it at the time since they were simply an unusual existence that didn’t fit into the 2 types of beings Z’Gord knew. Everything went back to normal and they ended up sealed within a totem. With centuries of free time to think, they started to wonder if destroying reality was all it’s cracked up to be. At times, Z’Gord would wonder what Fear actually was or why they showed up a bunch of times before disappearing.

Now Fear was in front of them with a physical form and spoken their first words Z’Gord has ever heard. It’s good to know that they also remember Z’Gord but if they’re here does that mean they also got trapped or…

 **“** **WhAt ArE yOu DoInG hErE?** **”**

* * *

**Earlier That Day**

Amira, Miranda and Polly were at the party tree doing some sunbathing with their L’il Buddy totem after melting some faces. The girls have done a lot with their new totem friend. As they relax doing fuck all, The Coven appears again.

“We should have known you guys still had the totem!” The Coven shouted in unison as they approached the girls.

“Can you not? We’re trying to get a tan on here.” Polly said unimpressed.

“What part of world ending do you not understand!?” They shouted again.

“I bet you guys are just making that up.” Amira scoffed. “You keep saying something world ending is happening every other week yet here we are.”

“Indeed. Since the world has yet to end, I’m more inclined to believe that the three of you are lying to us about our cute little friend here.” Miranda says with a slightly confused expression.

“THE WORLD HASN’T ENDED BECAUSE WE KEEP SAVING IT!” The Coven has reached their boiling point. “You leave us no other choice that to use force.”

The Coven tries to take the totem away from the reclining chair but before they could, the totem floated in the air and burst open in a swarm of locusts to reveal a purple eldritch abomination with many appendages, eyes and a huge gaping mouth. The Dark Deity has been freed.

“Oh no! We’re too late!” The leader of The Cover cried.

Polly’s eyes sparkle. “Dude. This. Is. AWESOME!”

Miranda’s eye lit up. “I can’t believe our sweet little kawaii deity is finally out here in the universe with us!”

“Me either! So… like… now what?” Polly grinned.

“Yeah, I guess L’il Buddy isn’t so l’il anymore.”

“YOU FOOLS! DON’T YOU REALIZE WHAT YOU’VE JUST DONE!?” The pipsqueak of The Coven yelled.

The Dark Deity smiles the grin of the eternally damned. The plants die around them. The sky turned blood red as dead bird fall. Shards of sharp glass flew dangerously through the air as all the windows shatter. A large earthquake that could level the whole city erupted. It was at that moment Amira knew she fucked up.

“WE’RE DOOMED!”

“IT’S THE END OF THE WORLD!”

“I’M GONNA DIE!”

“SOMEBODY SAVE ME!”

“SOMEONE DELETE MY BROWSER HISTORY!”

Cries of terror filled the air.

As the windows shattered and the ground shook violently, Oz’s senses were assaulted by a tremendous amount of fear and dread along with the presence of a powerful entity. In a fit of panic, Oz engulfed the whole school into the void along with everyone in it. He didn’t really like bringing mortals through the void since it can be quite unpleasant the first few times but gut reactions are unpredictable.

It took a few minutes for Oz to regain his composure and realize what he did. Almost everyone within the void was passed out. He wasn’t in his humanoid form but just a mass of blob due to the sudden outburst. A confused looking Damien was near him so he reshaped as quickly as possible. In an extremely embarrassed and stuttering state, Oz tried to give a brief explanation on what happened.

Damien was too dazed to listen to everything that Oz was stammering out. It was dark as fuck and he was having an internal crisis. All he could clearly see of Oz was his clothes and white dots that are probably his eyes. It seems like Oz’s hands are moving wildly if the floating watch and yellow sleeves flapping around was any indication. That’s kind of cute… okay maybe he has a concussion.

The void had a rather abstract effects on mortal minds, so time moved differently for everyone trapped there this time. In the few minutes Oz took to compose himself, Damien felt like everything just went dark as Oz appeared to ramble on about something. Normally, that wouldn’t be the case if Oz was in complete control. The lack of an observer with a large number of sentient beings in the void made things rather disarray for each individual.

The embodiment of fear was overwhelmed trying to process everything that happened as he keeps stammering a long-winded explanation which he himself didn’t really know what he was saying. When Oz noticed that Damien was just absentmindedly nodding, he stopped speaking to mimic the motion of taking deep breaths a few times before continuing.

_“We have to beat the giant heartless so we can get out of here.”_

“Yeah.” Damien said.

_“You’re not listening, are you?”_

“Mhmm.” Damien nodded.

Figuring that an explanation wasn’t actually needed and finally calming down, Oz started to assess the situation. He could see everything clearly within the void. So, it was easy to spot the anomaly that caused all the sudden terror. Seeing as the school building was a bit unstable just by the short time it got hit by the earthquake, Oz relocated any monster within the building to the football field as he expelled the whole school from the void except for Z’Gord.

Oz reappeared at the party tree with Damien. Anyone that was still conscious felt disoriented once they were out of the void except for Amira and Oz, Vicky was already out of the vicinity when this happened. Oz had Damien’s arm around his shoulders to prevent him from keeling over.

_“S-sorry about that. It was probably a bit sudden.”_

“Fuck.” Damien cursed as he pressed a hand on his forehead. “What the hell just happened?” He groaned.

 _“Something very bad.”_ Oz turned to look at Amira who was looking away. _“I’m going to get some clarification.”_ He turned back to look at Damien. _“Can you stand up?”_

Damien was leaning all his weight on Oz. When he turned to see how close Oz’s face was, Damien abruptly stood up straight, stepping back a bit. “Y-yeah, I’m fine. Go do… whatever it is you just said.”

Oz narrowed his eyes and stepped forward to get a closer look at Damien. The demon took a step back in response. It was a bit odd since Damien seemed mostly fine when he was in the void but side effects do vary. A lot is going on right now and he’d rather not have another thing to plague his mind with when he goes and lament things later.

_“You should probably go and get some rest.”_

“… Sure.” Damien said before walking away a bit wobbly.

Having other pressing matters to address, Oz walked over to Amira who wore an obviously guilty look. He has no idea why she looked that way when all he wanted to ask was why she was in close proximity to a Dark Deity of Destruction… okay maybe she’s more involved than he thought. By the time Oz reached Amira, The Coven has recovered and were looking distressed.

“Where’s Z’Gord?! Did it escape!?” The leader of The Coven looked around.

“That’s impossible. It’d leave a trail of corpses before it tries to escape.” The small Coven member said.

“Look, the sky is clear again.” The tall one with glasses said.

“But how!?” The other two say in shock.

Oz ignored them in favor of getting answers. _“Mind explaining what on earth happened here?”_ He crossed his arms.

Amira rubbed the back of her neck nervously. “Well, you see…”

One explanation hangout montage later.

Oz let out an audible exasperated sigh and gave Amira a disapproving look. _“So, you’re telling me, you bought a totem from Valerie and have been hanging out with it these past few days then the Dark Deity somehow freed itself just now?”_

“P-pretty much.” Amira said meekly.

 _“Did it not even cross your mind to mention it to me?”_ Oz starts to make gestures with his hands. _“I’ve told you many times to check with me when handling ancient, possibly dangerous artifacts!”_

“I didn’t think it was real!” Amira waved her hands in the air. “I just thought it was a cool magical totem.”

“We told you it was Z’Gord, Ruler of The Dark Realms and that we must dispose the totem before the world suffers!” The Coven chimed in.

Oz looked at The Coven and back to Amira. “They say shit like that all the time!” Amira protested.

“Yeah, and it’s not like they ever did anything for us while L’il Buddy has been totally cool.” Polly joined in the conversation, finally over what she thought was a bad trip. Miranda was also there waking up from a little faint sleep.

 _“L’il Buddy?”_ Oz tiled his head.

“The cute Dark Deity totem!” Polly said cheerfully. “When I ran out of coke, L’il Buddy made sure a dealer dropped dead in the club with full pockets, so I could have as much as I wanted!”

“When a suitor brought me the wrong flowers, L’il Buddy made his eyes and teeth melt out of his face.” Miranda said merrily.

Oz feels like he’s having a headache, so he massaged his temples. How in the ever-loving hell did they almost trigger the end of the world by sheer coincidence? All those dead bodies and sacrifices, basically awakened a sealed Dark Deity out into the world. So many horrible outcomes crossed his mind of what could have been the end of reality itself.

Polly just realized the state of the school building, her eyes widen. “Man, who knew releasing a Dark Deity from a totem would have consequences?”

“Indeed, who could have foretold this outcome?” Miranda says dramatically.

“WE TOLD YOU SO MANY TIMES!” The Coven is still here somehow.

As The Coven had an argument with the clueless girls, Oz felt the restlessness of Z’Gord thrashing around in the void. He’s going to have to deal with it sooner than later.

“Uh, Oz. Are you mad?” Amira asked gingerly.

Oz looked up at Amira. _“I’m not mad, just disappointed.”_

Amira winced a little. “Okay, that’s fair.”

 _“I need to take care of something.”_ Oz looked at his watch then gave Amira a stern look. _“I’ll be expecting you to be back at the apartment by 5PM or else I’ll hunt you down myself because this discussion isn’t over yet.”_

With those parting words, Oz sank down into the shadows.

* * *

**Present Time**

_“I’m here because this is my domain.”_ Oz said matter-of-factly.

 **“** **YOU TRAPPED ME HERE?!** **”** Z’Gord growled. Their eyes flashing red with rage. **“** **RELEASE ME THIS INSTANT!** **”** They snarled, showing their many mouths and teeth.

 _“You’re not going anywhere unless I’m sure you won’t destroy the world.”_ Oz eyed Z’Gord.

After thinking it over for a while and as an old acquaintance, Oz was willing to give Z’Gord a chance to be released. Otherwise, he’d have skipped the talking and just find a way to dispose of them for good. It’s proving to be a bit more complicated now that Oz is seeing them up close. The aura of death and decay are radiating off of them in what seems like an involuntary way. If they weren’t in the void, it would have been chaos.

Z’Gord quelled their rage. **“** **I** **’** **m NoT gOiNg To DeStRoY tHe WoRlD, nOw LeT mE oUt.** **”** Oz shook his head. **“** **LiAr!** **”** They hissed.

Oz sighs. _“I said when I’m sure you won’t destroy the world. Just because you say you won’t doesn’t mean you can’t.”_

 **“** **BuT i DoN** **’** **t WaNt To DeStRoY tHe WoRlD.** **”** Z’Gord wailed. **“** **YoU hAvE tO bEliEvE mE, fEaR.** **”** They pleaded.

_“First of all, I go by Oz now. And why don’t you want to destroy the world anymore? If you give me a good enough reason, I’ll consider it.”_

**“** **YoU hAvE a NaMe?** **”**

_“I do now. I didn’t back then.”_

**“** **WhO gAvE yOu A nAmE?** **”**

_“I named myself.”_

**“** **YoU cAn Do ThAt?** **”**

 _“Anyone can name themselves or rename themselves nowadays.”_ Oz shrugs. _“Anyway, we’re getting off topic.”_

The name thing really interests them but they can think about that later. Z’Gord went silent as they contemplated on how to convey their pure intentions. Oz had every right to doubt them and words were cheap. There were so many times heroes almost got the drop on them by infiltrating the cult of Z’Gord.

Waiting for Z’Gord’s answer, Oz did some thinking of his own. He didn’t really have many memories worth remembering before attending Spooky High. It’s very surprising that Z’Gord somehow remembers him when they barely interacted, he’d assume they would have forgotten him with the whole plotting to end reality thing. After all, he’s not very impressionable, especially back then when he didn’t have a form.

There weren’t many that could even tell Oz existed back then, so of course he’d remember the one that tried to attack him when they first noticed him. It intrigued him to see what a deity strong enough to notice him does. It was mostly boring but at least he got some fear out of their followers. Occasionally he’d be around to see a fight and that was it. He stopped coming by when he knew nothing important was to be gained there.

Oz never understood the appeal of world domination, much less about world destruction. It all just seemed like a waste of energy to do something unbeneficial to everyone. He doesn’t know if Z’Gord is serious about not doing the one thing that’s been their reason for existence but if they are, he’s curious on what they intend to do if he did release them.

 **“** **YoU sEe, I** **’** **vE bEeN tRaPpEd InSiDe A tOtEm FoR tHe PaSt FeW cEnTuRiEs. I hAd A lOt Of TiMe To ThInK aNd I rEaLiZeD tHaT i DoN** **’** **t ReAlLy CaRe AbOuT dEsTrOyInG rEaLiTy. YoU mIgHt NoT bElIeVe ThIs BuT i** **’** **Ve BeEn HaNgInG oUt WiTh SoMe GiRlS tHeSe PaSt FeW DaYs AnD iT wAs So MuCh FuN cOmPaReD tO aLl ThOsE eOnS pLoTtInG tHiS rEaLiTiEs DeMiSe.** **”** Z’Gord fidgets. **“** **If PoSsIbLe I wAnT tO dO mOrE fUn ThInGs WiTh ThEm.** **”**

Oz took in what Z’Gord said, trying to feel out if there were any falsehoods within them, which is kind of hard to decern with the cacophony of speaking mouths. It sounded very sincere when he compared it to how they usually talked to their followers. Feeling like they’re telling the truth, Oz finally replied.

_“What do you think is fun?”_

**“** **JuSt DoInG sTuFf WiTh OtHeRs. YoU kNoW hOw MiNdLeSs My CuLtIsTs WeRe. ThEy NeVeR dId AnYtHiNg FuN wItH mE oR eVeN cOmPlImEnTeD mE fOr AnYtHiNg I dId.** **”** Z’Gord pouts.

 _“If that’s all you want, I don’t mind releasing you.”_ Z’Gord perked up. _“But you’re still going to have to wait until you stop spreading death auras without thinking. I can’t have you causing another citywide calamity.”_

Z’Gord wiggles around. **“** **I CAN** **’** **T DO IT! YOU** **’** **RE GOING TO KEEP ME STUCK HERE FOREVER!** **”** They wailed.

_“Calm down. You just got released from centuries of imprisonment, of course you won’t have full control of your powers yet. You’re also a lot smaller than I remember.”_

Z’Gord blinked their many eyes then looked at themselves and Oz. They were taller than Oz but not like building sized tall like they used to be. They’ve been inside a totem for so long they lost perspective of size. It also didn’t help that there’s nothing else in this prison of darkness.

 **“** **HoW lOnG dO yOu ThInK iT wOuLd TaKe?** **”**

 _“A few days at most if you get some sanity.”_ Oz paused and looked down. _“I’ll go and grab some.”_

Oz was about to fade out. **“** **WAIT!** **”** Z’Gord screeched.

_“What is it?”_

**“** **DoN** **’** **t LeAvE mE hErE aLoNe.** **”**

_“Why?”_

**“** **I dOn** **’** **T lIkE iT hErE.** **”**

_“It can’t be that bad compared to the totem.”_

**“** **It** **’** **S WoRsE! hOw CaN yOu StAnD iT hErE? iT** **’** **s So BoRiNg AnD tHeRe** **’** **S ABSOLUTLY NOTHING!** **”** Z’Gord protests.

There’s actually a lot of things in the void because Oz is sort of a hoarder but nobody can see them. That aside, he finds it rather ironic that a Dark Deity with the title Ruler of the Dark Realms can’t stand a bit of nothingness. He can feel a hint of Autophobia from them so it does make sense why they’d hate his void.

 _“Fine, I’ll stay until I really have to go.”_ Oz pulled out his phone to set an alarm. There’s no signal in the void but the clock still follows time in the mortal realm for some reason.

Z’Gord stared at the phone curiously. **“** **WhAt** **’** **S tHaT?** **”**

 _“It’s a smartphone.”_ Oz looked up at Z’Gord. _“I’m guessing you don’t know what that means.”_ Z’Gord nodded.

Oz spent a long time in the void explaining to Z’Gord about how phones work. Then the Dark Deity started asking questions on how and why he gave himself a name along with a humanoid body. Oz told them about how he wanted to try living as a moral being by becoming a high schooler.

 **“** **Do YoU tHiNk I cOuLd Be A hIgH sChOoLeR?** **”** Z’Gord asked excitedly.

_“Sure, if you want to. Enrolling is surprisingly easy.”_

Z’Gord was quiet for a moment. **“** **AlRiGhT! i** **’** **Ve DeCiDeD! I** **’** **M GOING TO BE A HIGH SCHOOL GIRL!** **”** She paused. **“** **My NaMe ShAlL bE zOe!** **”**

* * *

Back in Monstropolis, breaking news was covering the huge earthquake that shook the whole city along with the mysterious 10-minute disappearance of Spooky High leaving only a gigantic crater before everything suddenly went back to normal with dozens of unconscious or disoriented students and teachers gathered at the football field.

Witness accounts:

“I was sure I died and went into eternal darkness.”

“It all just went dark dude. I thought it was a blackout but like the sun was gone.”

“Nothing happened. I’m pretty sure it was just mass hysteria from the earthquake and bleeding sky.”

“NOT THE BEES!”

“Our lord Z’Gord has finally been freed!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, who's ready for another roommate? XD  
> 2 February 2021  
> I'd like to say thanks for all the kudos and hits. Passing 350 in less than 3 months feels like some sort of accomplishment for my first Monster Prom fic that's basically me constantly writing random situations with some headcanons thrown in :3


	28. Meltdown

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oz and Damien can't think straight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm at that point where I can think about events but not the specifics XP

Oz was floating in the sea of nothingness without a form. There were a torrent of strong emotions swirling within the embodiment of fear as he laments his actions in the void. All the embarrassment, dread, and self-loathing came crashing through once he let himself contemplate what happened earlier that day. It’s sort of a delayed reaction but with so many things constantly keeping his mind busy, he was spared an immediate breakdown.

Hours pass by as Oz’s mind was filled with negative thoughts. He can’t believe he transported the whole school into the void by accident. Regardless of what happened, he hasn’t lost control to such a degree before. The closest thing similar to it was his first day at school and even that wasn’t such a catastrophe. It was times like this he cursed his corporeal form for being so sensitive of others fears.

In hindsight things might be worse than he initially thought. Damien probably hates him and would start avoiding him now. Same thing goes for Amira and probably everyone he knew. The school will know what happened and expel him. He’ll be banished from Monstropolis and stay here for all eternity as he should have from the start. The thoughts filled him with pure terror.

Maybe he can just stay here and not see what happens at all. Like Schrodinger’s cat, the cat is both alive and dead at the same time as long as he doesn’t open the box. The box being the void and the cat is his life outside of it. That theory should hold true in this case, right? Nothing will happen here and it’ll stay that way unless he peeks outside the box. That’s weird, he’s still anxious despite how foolproof that plan sounds.

 **“UmMm… Oz, ArE yOu StIlL tHeRe?”** A voice that sounds like a thousand goats dying snaps him out of his thoughts.

Oh, right. Zoe was here. Wow, for a good few hours Oz actually forgot he was here with someone else. He’s amazed at how spacy he can be, perhaps he’s more stressed than he realized if he could block out the existence of a Dark Deity in his own realm when there’s usually nobody around.

_“I’m still here.”_

**“Oh, GoOd. YoU hAvEn’T mOvEd Or MaDe A sOuNd FoR a LoNg TiMe, I tHoUgHt I wAs GoInG cRaZy.”**

_“Did you need something?”_

**“No, JuSt MaKiG sUrE.”** Zoe went back to reading.

A lot has been going on and Oz’s mind couldn’t keep up with everything at once. He’s been talking to more monsters and getting used to being seen. Joined a heist, escalated the plans for that heist and talked to many strangers in the process. He’s borrowed a book that’s barely half finished. His backlog of things to read for date research purposes is still long. Took in a sentient computer that wants to learn about life in the process of getting a body upgrade, soon to be a high schooler. He has a Dark Deity in his domain that wants to become a high school girl. Not to mention a dozen other things that resulted from said Dark Deity being released.

After talking with Zoe, Oz left her with some books to keep her busy in order to gather his thoughts on what to do next. The first book disintegrated as soon as it got near her, so he had to enchant them to keep them intact. He found it rather bizarre that he’s enchanting fairy tales just so an eldritch horror could read them. She easily got engrossed in reading them just as he did in the past.

Oz hasn’t gotten to the part where he thinks of what to do next since he got sidetracked by existential dread. Now he remembers why he avoids brooding in the void, there would be nobody to snap him out of it otherwise. Well, his alarm hasn’t gone off yet so there was still time to ponder.

Oz should probably start thinking on how to help Zoe become a high school girl. As a fellow eldritch abomination, he can empathies with her desire to do so. While she’s had a lot of interactions with mortals from her days as a deity, she’s completely out of touch with anything not cult related. He’ll have to teach her the basics of how things work along with laws, common sense and how facial expressions work.

As Oz thought of how he’d accomplish such a feat, the torrent of pervious worries still hasn’t completely left his mind. There are too many variables for him to consider and he couldn’t focus. Any idea he comes up with is interrupted by a different thought of how it wouldn’t work. He’d been taking advantage of his natural durability to get through the week but his tendency to overthink things are finally taking a toll.

No satisfactory solution came to mind, not unless he wants to burden his friends. In fact, he’s already brought enough trouble with him that he couldn’t possibly add more. There was no logical reason to take Calculester in or meddle in his new life but Oz did it anyway without much thought and now he’s attempting the same on a more dangerous being. Although in Zoe’s case he really can’t let her loose until he’s sure she won’t inadvertently destroy the fabric of reality.

There was too much to do and no way to do them all effectively. Things were getting out of hand and he doesn’t know what to do anymore. His thoughts were falling into disarray. The idea of sleeping started to sound appealing now, that’s how messed up things are.

The sound of a crow’s squawking resounded in the once dead silent space. Zoe snarled due to being startled. Oz went back to his humanoid form and turned off his phone’s alarm squawking. Time was up, nothing has been resolved. He’s not even sure what he’s going to say to Amira now. Not that he has any right to lecture her after what he did and is attempting to do. Ugh, why is he like this?

Oz turned to look at Zoe who was staring at him. He did tell her once his phone made a noise, that’s when he’ll be leaving. The nervousness radiating off of her is palpable. It makes him reconsider leaving her in the void. Sure, it won’t really hurt to leave her alone for a couple of hours and it shouldn’t affect her at all in any meaningful way, but her many eyes are practically begging him not to go.

Letting her out into the mortal plane was out of the question. Hell wasn’t a viable option either, there would be sever issues for bringing her into an already chaotic place. There had to be somewhere he can leave her that won’t cause a mountain of problems. It was then that Oz remembered where he could take her. He focused on the specific place as the darkness swallowed them both taking them there.

Zoe didn’t react since she thought Oz just went away like he said he would. When all the darkness and nothingness disappeared, replaced by a lot of purple and waves of madness, it surprised her. A very familiar location came into view. A place long forgotten and abandoned. She looked around bewildered.

 **“T-tHiS iS!”** Zoe screeched as her tentacles wriggled around.

 _“I figured you’d stay put here while I take care of other things.”_ Oz gestured around.

They were in the despair realm, a place devoid of any sense and unreachable by normal minds. Zoe found the atmosphere to be nice and cozy compared to the cold nothingness of Oz’s domain. It’s been so long since she’s was here that she completely forgot it existed.

Zoe coiled her tentacles around Oz in a bone-crushing constriction that would spill his guts out if he had any. Good thing Oz didn’t have any bones or organs but it sure hurt a lot since he didn’t expect it. He’d think it was an attack if she wasn’t purring for some reason.

 _“Zoe… you’re crushing me.”_ Oz said in a strained voice.

Zoe loosened her grip. **“SoRrY. i’M jUsT rEaLlY eXcItEd.”** Her voice somehow sounded sheepish.

 _“I-I see.”_ Oz slipped out of Zoe’s ‘hug’, falling onto the stone ground face down.

Oz’s body was wracked with physical pain he’s not used to, so he just laid still on the ground not moving. Ironically, the excruciating pain made him feel a bit better (mentally), because all he can think about now is how badly his body hurts.

 **“ArE yOu OkAy?”** Zoe gingerly poked Oz’s body.

 _“Not really.”_ Oz groaned. Teaching her how to hold back should be one of the first things he does whenever he figures out what to do next. _“Just… don’t do that again.”_

The thought of just lifelessly laying there for another century seemed tempting. Unfortunately, the initial shock of pain had worn off from his mind, so the gears were turning again. If there’s anything his small experience has taught him, it’s that delaying things for too long tend to be worse than facing them head on. With the afterpain decreasing, Oz slowly stood up. A weird tingling sensation was felt with every move he made but it didn’t hurt as much anymore.

 **“YoU’rE aCtUaLlY lEaViNg NoW?”** Zoe asks, somewhat dejected.

 _“Yeah, I should really get going.”_ Oz moved his limbs around, making sure nothing is at an odd angle, still tingly. _“The books are there if you get bored.”_ He pointed to a stack of fairy tales on the stone ground.

Zoe perked up. **“CoMe BaCk SoOn!”** She dashed towards the stack.

* * *

When Oz got back to the front of the apartment, he saw that many of the windows were broken and the roads were cracked. It seems like the earthquake Zoe triggered did more damage than he expected. Great, more things to think about. His whole body tingled again, he wonders when the sensation will stop.

Before Oz started moving, Vicky got out of the apartment and ran straight towards him. She looked distressed for some reason. Did the earthquake mess up the apartment that much?

“OZ WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN!?” Vicky grabbed Oz by the shoulders, he grimaced. “Oh, gosh. Are you hurt!?” She let go with a worried expression.

 _“Ummm…”_ Oz was feeling a bit disoriented. _“A bit. It should wear off in a bit.”_ At least he hopes so. _“Anyway, what happened?”_

“What do you mean what happened? Amira told us what happened and it’s all over the news!”

 _“What is?”_ Oz couldn’t comprehend what Vicky was saying or why she seems worried.

“N-nevermind! Let’s get inside first!” Vicky grabbed Oz’s hand and pulled him along.

When they entered the living room, Vicky told Oz to wait as she goes to bring the others over. Oz sat on the couch confused. Looking around, it didn’t look like things were in a huge mess. Some things are toppled over but that’s about it. He stared at his hand, opening and closing it into a fist. The tingling sensation has lessened, so that was a good sign. As he waited, a familiar woman entered the room. She had long straight hair in a ponytail and wore a lab coat.

“Hello Oz. It’s been a while.” The woman smiled.

_“Hi Elizabeth. What brings you here?”_

“You haven’t heard?” She raised a brow.

_“Not that I’m aware of.”_

“Well, the house exploded due to the earthquake and other things.” Elizabeth said rather nonchalantly.

 _“Oh, that’s a shame.”_ Oz wasn’t sure what else to say.

“Not the first time it’s happened.” Elizabeth shrugs. “I’m surprised to see your laboratory still intact, despite being underground.”

_“I’ve installed some extra special measures for such occasions.”_

“Hmmm… think I could get those extra special measures installed? I didn’t really think it was necessary before or believe how effective it was when Vicky mentioned it. But seeing as nothing is even out of place, I’m inclined to put some extra funding into fortifying the lab.”

_“I-I don’t think that’s possible now.”_

“That’s too bad. Anyway, I’ll be staying here for the weekend as the house being fixed. You don’t mind, do you?”

_“That’s fine. But why now?”_

“Vicky mentioned the little project you have going on with a sentient computer. Speaking of that girl, how has sh-.”

“Mom! What are you doing in the living room!?” Vicky exclaimed. She had entered with Amira and Brian.

Elizabeth turned to her daughter. “Why? To greet Oz here of course. I was thinking we could catch up.” She smiled.

“Oh, no you’re not.” Vicky went over to her mother and started pushing her away. “He’s busy now.”

“He doesn’t look busy.” Elizabeth says, barely resisting the push.

“We’re busy!” Vicky keeps pushing. “I’m sure Cal would be more interesting to talk to anyway.”

“I suppose that’s true.” Elizabeth hums. She starts walking away but then turns to look at Oz once more. “We can catch up later. Then you can tell me how Vicky’s been doing.”

“MOM!”

“I know. I know. See you later sweety~” Elizabeth says mischievously as she makes her exit towards the basement lab.

With Vicky’s mother out of the room, Oz’s friends gathered around him with clearly worried expressions, giving him a sense of déjà vu. Apparently, Amira thought Oz went to do battle with Z’Gord and somehow, they all took it as fact. Oz isn’t sure why that was the conclusion she got but it wasn’t far-fetched. He’d like to explain what actually happened but his mind went blank.

All Oz managed to get out was. _“That’s not what happened.”_ In a low tired tone.

Everyone waited for him to elaborate but Oz was just silent. He slowly melted and evacuated to his bed, he wasn’t ready after all. Curled under the blankets, he closed his eyes trying to untangle the mess in his mind. While he as no idea what to do, he can practically see how things will turn out. It more or less always ends up the same way.

Oz stopped thinking for a moment and just thought of nothing. Once he started again, he recalls some of the things his friends said to him as of late. Reflecting on it now, he really has been a cause for worry. But that’s fine. That’s just how things are. Their words echo in his mind.

_Don’t push yourself_

_You didn’t have to do that_

_It’s fine if you don’t_

_Be more confident in yourself Oz_

_Try to think about what you want_

If he were to be honest with himself, he’s certainly pushing himself now. An epiphany struck him. It all seems so stupid now. It didn’t have to be so complicated. He didn’t have to deal with everything on his own. Nothing ever turned out as terrible as he thought it could be, compared to some of the ‘what if’ scenarios he imagined.

With newfound determination, Oz got up and jumped down from his bed… only to crash into Brian who was standing below. Making them fall into a heap on the ground. Darn his senses are dull today.

Brian sat up on the floor. “You okay?”

Oz stayed still lying on the floor for the second time today. _“I feel nothing.”_ He groaned. His uplifted spirits crashed down along with him from his stupid blunder.

“Uh, you mean that literally or something else?”

Oz rolled over to stare at the ceiling. _“Unfortunately, just literally.”_ He turned to look at Brian. _“How long have you been here?”_

“Not long.” Brian yawned. “Feel like talking now?”

 _“Not really.”_ Oz raised his arm to check the time. His eyes rounded as he stared at his watch. _“It’s already 9 PM!?”_ He shot up as if a spring bounced him up to sit at a 90-degree angle.

Oz’s sense of time also seems to have gone out of whack. He swears it felt like only an hour passed since he got back, he even came before 5 PM. Oz hurriedly pulled out his phone to check it. Only a few messages on the group chat, so he didn’t miss anything important aside from Vicky telling everyone that her mom will be staying over. He really should have checked earlier. It reminds him that he should probably text Damien later to know how he’s fairing.

Seeing how much time he wasted doing practically nothing, Oz went over to his desk, pulled out a notepad and started writing down his plans. Things seem clearer now as he shoves any unnecessary thoughts to the back of his mind as he focuses on what he wants to accomplish.

“What are you writing?” Brian asked.

 _“A list for things I need to prepare before leaving.”_ Oz pause his writing to look at Brian. _“I’ll tell you guys later once I’m done writing this down.”_ He went back to writing.

* * *

Damien has been aimlessly wandering around his house for hours. He has no idea what the fuck happened back at school before he left but there’s one thing he does know. Damien’s come to the realization that he totally has a crush on Oz. That in itself isn’t an issue. Oz is an amazing guy, hell, he’s the raddest guy Damien knows aside from himself at school.

The problem was, now that he knows, he’s not sure what to do with it. Damien likes rushing into things without proper judgment but love isn’t one of those things. He doesn’t want to get his feelings hurt and rejection is a bitch. He didn’t need a repeat of what happened with a certain Coven member. Literally nothing happened and that’s the point. He somehow got rejected before making an actual move or confession. Damien shook his head at the horrible thought.

Damien doesn’t really have any experience in dating, so he’s at a loss. Sure, he’s been on a lot of dates and one-night stands but not even once has he been in a romantic relationship. His dads always say: If you love someone… shoot them and see what happens. As great as that advice is, Damien doesn’t really need to test if Oz is “the one”, although he is curious. Plus, Principal Giant Spider, his therapist and the law say it’s not very “legal”.

When Damien tried to imagine how Oz would react to being shot by him, the image of Oz catching or dodging the bullet like in some ridiculous action movie played out. Damien blushed at the thought, his tail swaying behind him. But thinking on it again, that’s only if Oz saw it coming. Even if Oz didn’t seriously get injured, he’d probably be super pissed and stop talking to Damien ever again. The thought scared Damien, his tail drooped.

Oz did mention that he’s immortal, so his safety isn’t really an issue. Damien would still feel really bad if his loved one gets attacked by his enemies, since Oz doesn’t like conflict in general. Why the hell does he keep falling for good guys? Well, maybe borderline good in Oz’s case. For someone who claims to be a pacifist, Oz sure knows his torture devices when Damien showed him around the palace dungeons.

It’s so not fair how much of a badass Oz is while also being super smart. On top of that, he’s nice, supportive, not judgmental, stupidly caring, adorable… fuck, Damien really is head over heels for Oz. Not that it matters when Damien is certain Oz only sees him as a friend. At least that’s better than the last person he had a crush on. Damien can take his time to figure out what to do.

* * *

The color crew were all sitting at the dining room table. There was a clear teapot of freshly boiled jasmine tea in the middle which Oz made, he poured a cup for everyone.

“Soooo… are we here to talk about what happened?” Vicky started.

 _“Kind of.”_ Oz added 3 sugar cubes into his cup and stirred it. _“But there’s not really much to add on that part.”_ He stopped stirring and picked up the cup. _“Long story short. Me and Z’Gord are acquainted. We had a conversation and came to an agreement.”_ He raised the cup in front of his face and took a sip. _“That’s about it, really. No fighting happened.”_ He said nonchalantly.

Everyone was baffled that nobody could actually respond. Both by what Oz said and him possibly drinking? Some phobias started to pop out and also drink the tea. They wonder if it was just a hallucination. Oz took a sugar cube and plopped it into his mouth. Or maybe it just disappeared into his face.

“You can eat!?” Amira exclaimed.

Oz jolted from the sudden shout. “ _Y-yeah? I thought I might as well try it now. Just… because.”_ He took another sip of tea. _“It’s a bit weird but not in a bad way.”_

“That’s good… I guess?” Vicky said, unsure of how to react.

 _“Mhmm.”_ Oz poured more tea with only 2 sugar cubes this time. _“Anyway, I was wondering…”_ He took a swig of tea then stared at the cup. _“Would you guys mind if I go away for a week?”_

After re-examining his options, Oz concluded that he really needed a long break. Normally, that wouldn’t be such a big deal but with Calculester’s upgrade going on and other small things, he felt like it was an irresponsible thing to do. Not that he could help much anyway, but still. He’s still nervous about asking.

While he was taking the plunge, he thought he might as well do it with a drink, because why the fuck not. Oz couldn’t tell if his tea was sweet or bitter, so he ate a sugar cube just to make sure he understands what sweet means. Maybe he should have drank water first to know what neutral tastes like. Welp, he’s already drinking tea now, he can drink water later.

His friends glanced at each other and nodded in unison. “Of course, we don’t mind.” Vicky said gently. “We can handle things here no problem.” She smiled.

Oz looked up at Vicky. _“Really?”_

“It’s fine.” Vicky finally took a sip of tea. “Besides, mom said she’s going to help me out with building Cal’s new body.” She put the cup down. “Are you going anywhere in particular?”

 _“Yeah, I’ll be in the despair realm teaching Zoe some stuff.”_ Oz watched his phobias drink his tea.

“Who’s Zoe?” Brian asked.

Oz turned to Brian who was sitting next to him. _“Oh, right. I haven’t explained that yet. Z’Gord goes by Zoe now and if things go well, she’ll be attending Spooky High next semester along with Calculester.”_

There was another moment of silence as everyone tried to process what Oz said.

“You’re telling me the Dark Deity that almost destroyed the Monstropolis if not the world is going to be a new student?” Amira asked with a very confused look.

_“Basically, yes.”_

“How the hell did that happen!?” Amira shouted in surprise.

 _“I told you. We had a conversation and that’s just how it ended up.”_ Oz shrugs. _“It seems like you girls left an impression on her, so she’s decided to be a high school girl.”_

Amira slumped down on the table. “Whatever… my small brain can’t keep up anymore.”

 _“You should drink the tea then.”_ Oz poured more tea to his cup. _“I read somewhere that it boosts brain function… maybe.”_ He took a sip.

Oz went on to make sure it’s really okay for him to leave for a week, which they reassured him that it’s totally fine. Amira didn’t even protest when he revoked what’s left of her free chore pass. It’s quite a relief that they’re taking his selfish request well. He was expecting more questions regarding his rather questionable life choices but those never came.

Truthfully, everyone couldn’t really comprehend what was happening. But you don’t argue with a guy who made a whole school disappear for a few minutes then put it back as if nothing happened and just had a nervous breakdown. They agreed to avoid mentioning the news, even though Vicky made a little slip earlier, it doesn’t seem like Oz noticed it.

When everything settled, Oz went to his room and started to “pack” some things. Consulting his notes, he enchanted anything he picked up before chucking it into the void. Brian was sitting on his bed just watching Oz wandering around the room. Ignoring all the crazy details that gives Brian a headache, the sight was quite amusing. Seeing items fly in the air to be caught by black holes.

With how chaotic the day has been, it was a relief to see that Oz wasn’t too down. Oz is acting weirder than usual but that’s par for the course by now. It’s a lot better than him being in a constantly depressed state which is entirely possible. In the middle of his haphazard “packing”, Oz started a conversation about flavor, creating some idle chatter.

Brian found the topic to be interesting but hard to explain, since sugar and tea are Oz’s only frame of reference. Brian mentioned that it wouldn’t be a good idea to try raw ingredients and seasoning if Oz was planning to taste more stuff. There goes Oz’s plan to eat a spoonful of salt and pepper… a lick wouldn’t hurt… probably. Well, he can always think about it another time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was a mess. I need to stop making things complicated for myself.


	29. How To Train Your Eldritch Horror

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oz has a little chat with everyone and goes to teach Zoe the ways of the mortals.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I figured that I should make a longer chapter for after my break. Hope you enjoy :3

**Earlier That Day**

Vicky was in a bus heading to her house as she normally does after exams to visit her mother Elizabeth. They had a fairly good relationship since Vicky inherited her mother’s love of science. Elizabeth is technically human with no magical affinity, which is rare for a human living in Monstropolis, a city that’s a melting pot of monsters. For a Mad Scientist, it was the perfect place to live, especially with all the loose laws.

The frankengirl was especially excited for the visit because of her new robotic roommate. While her mother isn’t all that interested in magic, surely an AI made with magic would be somewhat appealing to her. At the very least she’d be interested in the blueprints for Cal’s body.

As Vicky was wondering how intrigued her mother would be by her current project, the bus violently shook. The bus was tilting and ready to fall sideways in a spectacular crash. Passengers screamed in panic. Vicky, not wanting to be in a crashing bus, broke a window using the emergency hammer all buses have and jumped out the window. She would’ve landed perfectly if the ground wasn’t shaking, making her stumble and fall on her butt. She finally realized that an earthquake was happening.

Some of the other passengers also got out of the bus before it crashed and exploded… somehow, some weren’t so lucky. A bigger explosion blew off not far from where Vicky was at, it was in the direction of her house. She had a feeling it was definitely her house. Once the shaking stopped, Vicky ran as fast as she could towards her house, ignoring the rest of the chaos around her.

Vicky was relieved to see her mother sitting on the grass of the front lawn as the house was burning down, engulfed in flames. It’s not exactly the first time she’s seen this scenario, just with less destruction in the general area. Lab explosions rarely happen but when they do, the whole house goes down in flames. Fortunately, Monstropolis’s maintenance sorcerers are very efficient in house repairs.

“Hey honey. Seems like we won’t be having dinner at home tonight.” Elizabeth sighed dejectedly. She looked up to Vicky and saw that there were a lot of glass shards and gravel in her hair. “Looks like you had quite the journey here.” She smiled amused as if her house wasn’t burning behind her.

“I dive rolled out of a crashing bus!” Vicky said proudly. “And I didn’t even lose a limb!” She moved her arms around.

“That’s great sweetie!” Elizabeth looked behind her. “Don’t think I could’ve patched you up if you did lose a limb.”

The two started to catch up on what they’ve been doing as Elizabeth plucked out all the glass and gravel in Vicky’s poofy hair. Hearing that her daughter was making a robot body using the blueprints mainly made by a robot was highly intriguing. Figuring how much damage is everywhere from the earthquake which would mean repairs would have to be done everywhere, Elizabeth decided to stay over at Vicky’s shared apartment instead of a hotel as usual.

* * *

**_Color Crew Group Chat_ **

**Vicky:** Hey guys. Just a heads up but my mom’s coming over. Probably staying over the weekend.

 **Brian:** Why?

 **Vicky:** House blew up again.

 **Vicky:** BTW how are things at the apartment?

 **Brian:** Some windows are broken and it’s bit messy but mostly fine

 **Brian:** Is your mom seriously staying over?

 **Vicky:** Yep! Don’t worry, she’s interested in Cal so she probably wouldn’t bother you guys.

 **Brian:** I donno

 **Brian:** I’ll be in my room if you need me

 **Vicky:** She doesn’t bite lol

 **Brian:** I’m not so sure about that

Interacting with a friend’s parent was awkward in and of itself most of the time. Vicky’s mom was pretty eccentric and Brian is a bit uncomfortable with a woman that bluntly asked to dissect him once. Amira was also slightly wary of Vicky’s mom for similar reasons (she asked for a blood sample). It’s a good thing that Elizabeth is very pro consent when it comes to testing with live intelligent test subjects but it’s still unsettling to be asked such things. Oz on the other hand, has no issues with Elizabeth’s eccentric ways as a fellow seeker of knowledge that they’re practically friends.

 **Vicky:** Anyway, Oz, are you there?

 **Amira:** Oz is busy

 **Vicky:** Oh, he was with you? Does that mean you were at school?

 **Amira:** Kind of

**_Crisis Chat Group_ **

**Amira:** I fucked up

 **Vicky:** What happened this time?

 **Brian:** I can’t believe we’re using this again

 **Vicky:** Shush Brian!

 **Brian:** Fine

 **Brian:** What did you do this time?

 **Amira:** I might have almost triggered an apocalypse via releasing an ancient dark deity from a totem I bought from Val

 **Vicky:** YOU DID WHAT!?

 **Brian:** Are you drunk?

 **Amira:** I’m serious!

 **Amira:** That huge earthquake was caused by Zgord!

 **Vicky:** Then what happened to it? It doesn’t look like the end of the world.

 **Amira:** Oz caught it

 **Amira:** I think

 **Amira:** I’m not exactly sure

 **Vicky:** Didn’t you see what happened?

 **Amira:** No, Oz stuck me in the void for a while along with everyone close

 **Amira:** Probably the dark deity too

 **Vicky:** Oh dear, that does sound bad. He never does that without warning.

 **Vicky:** So, where did Oz go?

 **Amira:** He said he had to take care of something then melted away

 **Vicky:** Did he say when he’ll be back?

 **Amira:** Around 5

 **Vicky:** Well, at least that’s clear.

 **Vicky:** You still there Brian?

 **Brian:** Yeah

 **Vicky:** Oh good. So, what do you think about this whole thing?

 **Brian:** I’m speechless

 **Brian:** Have you seen the news?

 **Vicky:** About the earthquake?

 **Brian:** No, about school

**1 Minute Later**

**Amira:** Fuck

 **Vicky:** You’re right Brian. I’m speechless.

 **Brian:** My head hurts

 **Brian:** I’m taking a nap

With the chat over and added perspective on what happened after Z’Gord was released, the severity on what Amira almost caused started to really sink in. She’s used to doing a lot of reckless things but none with such disastrous possibilities. It’s all too much to process but she does feel guilty for not heading Oz’s warnings. Who knows what would’ve happened if he wasn’t close by?

Amira wasn’t one to wallow in guilt but even she knew she couldn’t just brush off her carelessness. No more messing with artifacts, fake or otherwise. Amira somewhat dreads what Oz wants to talk about later aside from giving her more lectures. In hindsight, she’d be really lucky if all he did was lecture her like usual, considering the circumstances.

* * *

**Present Time**

Oz was done with his preliminary preparations and looking over his notepad of what else he has to do. Only a few more things left to do at home. Still a lot more to do outside before he goes back to the despair realm. Looking at his own list, Oz estimates that he’d be done in just a few hours.

“Just making sure but… how are you feeling?” Brian asked.

Oz stopped pacing around and turned to Brian who was sitting on his bed. _“Kind of dull and fuzzy.”_ Brian raised a brow. _“In all the ways it can be interpreted.”_

“Okay… did you really not have a fight with… Z’Gord?” Brian scratched his head. He’s been having a nagging feeling like he’s heard that name somewhere before. “Vicky said you were somewhat injured when you got back.”

 _“Well…”_ Oz looked down, slightly fidgeting. _“I really didn’t fight them.”_ It felt too embarrassing to mention that he was done in by a hug. A hug that would most likely break over a dozen bones if he had any, but a hug nonetheless.

“Then how did you get injured?” Brian leaned forward a bit. “You didn’t respond when I tried talking to you earlier, although you seem better after jumping down.”

Oz look up to see Brian staring at him, a look of concern in the zombie’s eyes. Normally that would make Oz feel bad, especially since he caused a lot of worry, but not today. Oz felt like something snapped in his mind. Nothing important like his sanity, he’s not even sure if he has that much sanity to begin with. It was his inhibitions, the thing that keeps holding him back from speaking his mind. Oz felt ticklish on how silly he’s been today and let out a laugh.

 _“It’s nothing serious.”_ Oz giggled. _“I just got hugged to death by tentacles when my guard was down.”_ He shrugged exaggeratedly. _“Now that I said it out loud, it sounds like the start of a hentai plot.”_ He giggled again.

Brian was taken aback by Oz’s shift in tone, he suddenly sounded more jovial than he has all night. “Errr… uh, so, you’re saying you got injured by a hug?” Brian said confused.

 _“Pretty much.”_ Oz pulled out his phone. _“If you have any other question, best to ask them now. I’m going to have a chat with Calculester and Elizabeth next, then I’m out.”_ He said as he typed away on his phone.

Brian shudders at the casual mention of Vicky’s mom and wonders if Oz has finally cracked from stress, it oddly looks more normal than he expected. Was there anything else Brian wanted to ask? Oz sounds very open right now, unlike earlier. Brian ponders what to ask, there was something that stood out.

“You said earlier that you and Z’Gord were acquainted. Does that mean you were friends before today?”

 _“I knew them but that’s about it. We weren’t friends or anything. I never even talked to her before.”_ Oz answered while still using his phone. _“It’s been a few centuries since I last saw them so I was surprised that they still remember me, y’know since I never said anything or have a form.”_

Brian would like to ask, why on earth is Oz going to teach a dark deity of destruction on how to be a high school girl when they aren’t even friends, but knowing Oz, there’s probably no deep meaning behind helping someone.

Brian let out a deep sigh. “Normally, people pick up pets like dogs or cats on a whim, not sentient computers and dark deities.”

 _“I know, right?”_ Oz chuckled, still looking at his phone. _“But isn’t it more interesting this way?”_ He said gleefully.

“I suppose.” Brian let out a chortle, feeling Oz’s good mood. “Can’t you just bring them here instead of going to a different realm?”

 _“She’d like that but unfortunately, that’s not possible.”_ Oz sighs. _“Zoe’s presence alone brings about death and disaster, hence the earthquake and that’s unintentional.”_

“Oh… then how will…” Brian paused, a bit confused on what pronoun to use since Oz has been mixing it around. “She? Enroll in Spooky High?”

 _“She should be stabilized before then and it’ll be safe.”_ Oz finally looked up and pocketed his phone.

“If you say so.” Now that Brian thinks about it, he doesn’t even know what this Z’Gord/Zoe looked like. “What does she look like?”

 _“Hmmm…”_ Oz strokes his chin, pondering for a bit. _“A purple amalgamation of tentacles, lime eyes and mouths with a huge gaping maw where heads usually are. She’s slightly taller than you.”_

As he tried to imagine what Oz described, something clicked in Brian’s brain. “Wait… only slightly taller than me?” He said surprised.

_“Yep.”_

“So, not as huge as a building?”

Brian just remembered where he’s heard the name Z’Gord before. It was in a nightmare where the world ended and everyone died. The image of a gigantic purple tentacle monster with many eyes and mouths was clear. Could it be the same Z’Gord or was it just a coincidence?

Oz tilted his head. _“Oh, you’re probably thinking of Z’Gord’s final form. She doesn’t look like that now.”_

“They have a final form!?” Brian exclaimed in shock.

 _“Well, yeah. They were a powerful Dark Deity capable of destroying reality, although that requires a specific ritual. She’s pretty weak now after being stuck in a totem for so long.”_ Oz says nonchalantly.

Welp, that’s too much information now. Brian can’t handle anymore bombshells. He’s not sure what’s more shocking. A nightmare he had having some truth to it or how Oz called a dark deity that caused a 12-magnitude earthquake weak.

“Yeah, I don’t have more questions.” Brian deadpans.

 _“I see.”_ Oz walked towards Brian. _“Can you stand up for a while?”_

“Uh, sure.” Brian stood up, slightly confused by the sudden request.

Oz hugged Brian. _“Thanks.”_ He said in a soft voice.

Brian slowly returns the hug. “For what?”

Oz looked up at Brian. _“A lot of things but mostly just for being here.”_

“Anytime.” Brian smiled and ruffled Oz’s hair. Oz upturned his eyes to smile in return.

After a while they retracted from the hug. _“Alright, I’ll be going to the lab now.”_ Oz started to walk away. _“See you in a week!”_ He said cheerfully with a wave before closing the door as he walked out.

Brian instantly slumped down on the bed and shut off his brain to sleep. No more thinking for tonight.

* * *

**_Damien’s Phone During The Conversation_ **

**Oz:** Hey Damien. Sorry about earlier you’re probably pretty confused. I am too honestly lol

 **Oz:** BTW Congrats on passing midterms!

 **Oz:** Wait I think I said that already

 **Oz:** Did I? Maybe just something similar

 **Oz:** Either way hope you’re doing well this fine evening

 **Damien:** You ok? UR acting strange

A text from Oz was surprising enough in the state Damien was in. He was planning on not replying since it wasn’t anything important but 4 more short messages popped up in rapid succession that it was too weird to ignore. Oz only ever sent long texts or something short once, twice at most and his use of punctuation marks are sloppier than usual.

 **Oz:** Oh you noticed?

 **Damien:** Hard not to with how you usually type

 **Oz:** Aww that’s sweet

 **Oz:** Like the sugar cubes I ate :3

A blush crept onto Damien’s face as he hurriedly typed his reply.

 **Damien:** WTF! ARE YOU HIGH!?

 **Damien:** I’M NOT FUCKING SWEET!

 **Oz:** lol I see you’re quick to retort as usual XD

 **Oz:** I’m in what they call a mood

 **Oz:** Or at least I think that’s what it’s called ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

 **Oz:** I just think it’s really nice that you’re familiar with my typing habits

 **Oz:** Anyway I’m going away for a week

 **Oz:** There’s no signal where I’m going so I thought I’d give you a heads up

 **Oz:** Have a nice holiday 😄

Damien tried to process what he was reading, he felt like his brain is turning into mush. Oz’s messages were a lot more carefree and chaotic than usual. Damien has no idea how to react. Many questions come to mind but the main one was: What the fuck is going on? He needed more time to sort things out. So, in the end he didn’t reply.

* * *

As Oz headed towards the lab to chat with Calculester and Elizabeth, Vicky joined to prevent him from saying anything unnecessary. Despite how quiet Oz is most of the time, for reasons Vicky can’t fathom, he’s pretty loose lipped (figuratively) when talking with her mother.

Whatever the cost, Vicky can’t let Oz tell her mother about her love life, everything else was pretty much fair game. Romance was the one topic Vicky never talks about with her mother for typical teenage reasons. She can’t imagine how much her mother would pester her to talk about it if she knew about her crush. To Vicky’s relief, Oz just came to inform the of some things before his departure for the week.

Both Calculester and Elizabeth seemed disappointed to hear that Oz won’t be around during the building of Calculester’s body. Vicky was concerned that their reactions would unintentionally guilt trip Oz into staying but to her surprise, he laughed it off, saying that he wouldn’t be much help to begin with. Vicky thought it was odd that Oz sounds chipper, considering he was still nervous a while ago. While Calulester was appeased by Oz’s reasoning, Elizabeth still looked disappointed, probably because it means she won’t be able to ask Oz about Vicky.

Oz pulled out a newspaper and showed it to everyone in the room. Vicky was surprised to hear that roboracism was declared illegal, especially since she forgot it was an issue to begin with. Calculester was very glad to hear that there would be no need to hide the fact that he’s a robot. Elizabeth found the timing to be suspiciously convenient to be a coincidence. Oz explained that it wasn’t a coincidence because he asked a friend to change the school’s policy, which somehow turned out the way it did.

Vicky found the information shocking since Oz never mentioned it. It also reminded her how meticulous Oz was. While Vicky herself was quite the planner, she tends to have tunnel vision on her goals. She had assumed that once Cal had a proper robot body that he could just pass himself off as a metallic monster or something. In hindsight, his body would be a dead giveaway that he’s a robot, she felt disappointed at her own shortsightedness.

Done with informing what he deemed was necessary, Oz excused himself and was ready to actually leave the apartment. Vicky accompanied him to the front door.

“Soooo… who’d you ask for help?” Vicky was curious on who Oz knew that could pull off making roboracism illegal. If she had to make a guess, it would be Vera, for a price.

 _“Damien, since he offered to help. I wasn’t sure if he could pull it off but he certainly delivered more than I asked.”_ Oz giggled.

Vicky stopped walking, not sure if she heard things correctly. “Did you just say Damien?” She said confused.

Oz looked back to see Vicky standing still, he stopped walking. _“Yes.”_

“How!?” Vicky exclaimed.

 _“I don’t know. I didn’t ask for specifics.”_ Oz shrugs.

“That’s not- I mean- why would- since when-.” Vicky scratched her head franticly as all her questions came out jumbled up.

It’s been a very chaotic day. Vicky has enough trouble trying not to be shocked by everything Oz does. She thought she was used to her shadowy friend’s unorthodox behavior, apparently not. Vicky’s held back a lot of questions, fearing that mentioning what happened today could put Oz back in a negative state. Now, with added questions, everything was a tangled web of confusion she can’t sort out.

 _“I’m not sure what you’re trying to say but it’s best not to overthink it.”_ Oz placed a hand on Vicky’s shoulder, shaking his head.

Vicky glared at Oz. “Like you’re one to talk.” She grumbled, frustration taking over. “Did you seriously entrust something that doesn’t involve destruction to Damien LaVey of all monsters?”

While Vicky likes to be optimistic and sees the good in all monsters, she really couldn’t think of a worse monster to ask for help in this particular scenario. It’s a wonder how there hasn’t been a major fire at school in the past few weeks, she would know because she kind of keeps up with the rumor mill.

Oz let out a chuckle. _“Pretty much. Although I did have a backup plan, in case he couldn’t do it.”_

Vicky groaned, hearing that Oz even had a backup plan. Just how many things was he juggling at once? Oz also had some sort of secret project with Amira at the start of the week. Not knowing things irritated Vicky, but even more so when Oz omits things she could possibly help with and she doesn’t even realize it. She could’ve done more if only she wasn’t so caught up in her own interests.

Oz wrapped his arms around a disgruntled Vicky and patted her back. _“There, there. You were busy with Calculester and it’s not like I put much thought in it either.”_ He cooed. _“It’s all working fine in the end, isn’t it?”_

“You’re being weirdly positive, all things considered.” Vicky grumbled hugging Oz back.

_“What can I say? You told me to, right?”_

“Yeah, but…” Didn’t you just have a breakdown? Vicky stopped herself from asking the question. There’s no need to point out the obvious. Then something occurred to her. “Wait, it doesn’t hurt anymore?” She pulled back to look at Oz’s face.

 _“I told you I’d be better in a bit.”_ Oz smiled with his eyes.

“I thought you were just saying that.” Vicky furrowed her brows. “How did you even get injured?” She blurted out and clasped her mouth too late as the question was already out.

Oz squinted his eyes in annoyance. _“A hug.”_ He grunted.

“Wait, what?” Vicky’s panic turned into confusion. Oz’s answer made no sense.

 _“I’m not repeating myself for a third time.”_ Oz started walking towards the entrance which was only a few feet away.

“What do you mean a third time!?” Vicky caught up to Oz. “C’mon, what does it mean?” She whined.

_“I meant what I said, literally.”_

The answer didn’t clear up anything and Vicky was still confused. Another thing to add on the pile of confusion she has yet to fully process. When they reached the door, Vicky gave Oz a quick hug.

“We’re going to miss you.” Vicky said with a smile.

 _“I’m only leaving for a week. But yeah, I’ll miss you guys too.”_ Some phobias popped out to wave at Vicky. _“Try not to explode the lab while I’m away.”_

“Hey! I can handle things just fine!” Vicky crossed her arms. “I’m the one that should be telling you to not overexert yourself in… whatever it is you’re going to do. Just because you can’t die doesn’t mean you can’t get tired.”

_“I know. I’ll mostly be taking a break anyway.”_

“You are?” Vicky raised a brow. “I thought you said you were going into some despair dimension.” It hardly sounds like a place to relax… oh, right. Oz is the embodiment of fear and he’s spent a weekend at hell doing who knows what. “On second thought, don’t answer that.”

 _“Are you sure? I’m feeling pretty chatty right now.”_ Oz says teasingly.

Vicky nods. “Yes, I’m sure. I’m already facing an information overload and that’s excluding the literal disaster that happened.”

 _“If you say so.”_ Oz turned the doorknob. _“See you in a week!”_

“Stay safe.” Vicky waved with a smile on her face.

* * *

As Oz got out of the apartment, he caught the scent of cigarette smoke in the air. Amira was smoking outside, something she usually does when she’s stressed out. Well, with what happened today, it’ll be weirder if she wasn’t stressed. Especially since she was there in person when Z’Gord was released. Hearing the door open, Amira put out her cigarette by incinerating what’s left of it.

“Hey Oz. You off to that despair dimension now?” Amira asked casually.

Oz approached Amira and stood next to her, leaning on the metal fence. _“Not really. I still have some other things to take care of.”_

“Of course, you do.” Amira sighs. “I’m not even gonna ask.”

They stood there in silence for a while, taking in the chilly night winds before Oz broke the silence. _“Are you okay? It’s been a really hectic day.”_

Amira turned to Oz with brows furrowed in confusion. “That should be my line. You had us really worried back there.” She pointed a finger at him. “And don’t you dare say sorry, because I know I’m the one that caused it.” She said fiercely.

 _“Well…”_ Oz starts in a playful tone. _“I wouldn’t say you singlehandedly caused my breakdown as much as you were a factor in an accumulated series of events that led to it but sure.”_ He shrugs. _“I’m over it now, though I do still feel dull and fuzzy. A bit loopy too.”_ He chuckles.

Amira blinked in surprise at Oz’s cheerful demeanor. Not even a trace of his usual nervousness that was still there back in the dining room. She’s conflicted on what to actually feel right now. Should she be relieved that Oz feels better or should she be worried that he’s gone nuts? Either way, she still feels bad.

“Still… sorry.” Amira said meekly.

 _“I’m not sure you even need to apologize to me since the end of the world is pretty much everyone’s problem.”_ Oz glanced at the cracks on the road. _“Especially the maintenance workers.”_

“So, you’re really not mad?” Amira looked at Oz warily.

 _“I told you I’m not. Normally I’d give you a few hours lecture on reckless behavior and how it affects others, but I’ll let it slide this time since you actually feel bad about it and I’m too exhausted to do that.”_ Oz pulled out his notepad and checked his list. _“There’s also the fact that I’m going to be teaching that Dark Deity you released so that she can be a high school girl. That lecture would be better saved for her now that I think about it.”_ A phobia popped out and handed him a pen, which he used to write something down.

Amira wonders how serious Oz is with all the ridiculous things he’s saying. Well, they have a sentient library computer in their basement lab, so he was probably 100% serious. It all still seems surreal and she can’t comprehend what’s happening.

“Well, good luck with that, I guess?”

Oz put away the notepad and turned to Amira. _“I could use some luck.”_ He spread his arms out.

Amira was confused for a few seconds before she realized what Oz was doing. “You’re such a dork.” She smirked as she gave Oz a quick tight hug. “Try not to do anything too crazy out there.”

Oz tilted his head. _“You’re saying what I’m going to do isn’t already crazy?”_

“Uuuh…” Amira thought on it. “Okay, yeah, that was a stupid thing to say just now.”

They both shared a laugh before Oz said _“See you in a week!”_ and melted into the shadows. Amira stayed out a bit more before going back inside feeling lighter but still very confused.

* * *

There was one thing left Oz had to do before going back to the despair realm, collect a huge supply of sanity. He went to human society to do some hunting. After all, he needs a lot of sanity for Zoe and humans are riper with sanity compared to monsters. Oz could just buy some sanity but it’s considered a rare ingredient, making it expensive. Besides, fresh sanity should be better anyway and while he’s at it, he can get some fear and maybe some meat. It’s a lot more beneficial this way.

Oz wasn’t picky about choosing victims but being inconspicuous is his main priority. So, no mass disappearances… well, maybe if there were a bunch of humans gathered in a forest or something. Creating mysterious haunted spots is pretty amusing and generates spooky rumors, making more fear in the world in general. Although, Oz finds fear-mongering to be tedious since humans make themselves scared, even without monster intervention.

Oz easily snatched up a lot of unsuspecting humans into the void, along with some furniture and appliances, they won’t be needing those anymore. Once he was done hunting, he went to check his notepad list and organize the clutter he made in the void. Tidying up wasn’t hard with how ambiguous space was in the void, it’s just a bit troublesome to pull them out from the outside if he doesn’t remember where he left things.

When Oz finally went back to the despair realm, he was greeted with an unexpected sound. The noise of ear shattering wails that sounded like a thousand goats dying echoed through the area. It took a moment for Oz to realize that it was the sound of Zoe crying. Zoe was lying on the ground sobbing with tears of blood dripping out of her many eyes. It was a horrifying sight that most would assume she was mad beast. Familiar with her past as Z’Gord, Oz knows that’s not the case.

Oz gingerly approached Zoe. _“Hey Zoe, I’m back.”_ Zoe’s eyes opened and blink as her sob volume lowers but not by much. _“Uh… what’s wrong?”_

Zoe sat up and started to spew some unintelligible babbling. All her mouths were speaking out of sync that even Oz can’t tell what Zoe is saying beyond the chaos. He told her to stop and try again from the beginning with only one mouth to speak. She kept sobbing for a moment before starting again.

 **“S-She- she- tu-.” *hic* “Turned into seafoam.” *hic* “A-and he do-doeshent” *hic* “Even notice.”** Zoe wailed again after finishing her sentence. Her voice still sounded very deep but it was clearer.

Oz processed what Zoe said, soon he connected the dots on why she was crying. _“Oh… I see. You read The Little Mermaid.”_ Zoe gave a small nod.

Oz is quite surprised to see Zoe being emotional to this degree just from reading a tragic love story. He had assumed she’d like the classic fairytales because they were tragic and filled with misery. Zoe must be more sensitive than he was when starting out. This revelation was really great since that means it’ll be easier to teach her stuff. That aside, Zoe was still crying.

 _“Did you hate the story?”_ Oz asked. He’ll refrain from lending her any more tragic love stories if that was the case.

Zoe calmed down a bit, the blood stopped pouring from her eyes. **“No… it was great.”** She whined. **“I just… I want it to end differently.”**

Oz tittered. _“If that’s the case then I’ll show you the different version of it later.”_

**“Different version?”**

_“It’s basically the same main plot but written differently with a different outcome.”_

**“Does the mermaid end up with the prince?”**

_“I wouldn’t want to spoil the story for you but the mermaid definitely doesn’t turn into sea foam in the end.”_

Zoe’s many eyes lit up. Her tentacles whipped out towards Oz, intending to squeeze him again. This time Oz dodged out of the way. **“ShOw It To Me NoW!”** She growled with all of her mouths talking.

 _“No.”_ Oz says bluntly. _“And I told you not to do that again.”_ Oz scolded Zoe.

 **“S-sOrRy.”** Zoe retracted her tentacles. **“BuT wHy NoT?”** She whined.

 _“We have other things to do.”_ Oz crossed his arms.

Zoe wanted to protest. **“BuT-”** Oz cuts her off.

 _“No buts.”_ Oz stifled a giggle, trying to keep his authoritative act. _“Do you want to be a high school girl or not?”_

**“I dO bUt-.”**

_“I promise I’ll show it to you later, okay?”_

Zoe was silent for a moment before finally complying, it’s not like she has much of a choice in her current state. Oz had no issues with indulging Zoe now but he’d rather do things in order. Plus, he’d really like her to stop instinctively pulling him into a death grip.

* * *

To start things off, Oz pulled out a pile of unconscious humans from the void for Zoe to syphon their sanity, or at least that was what he thought would happen. Apparently, Zoe was very hungry so she devoured everything. Oz was glad he had a lot more reserved for later. Hopefully it’s enough to last the week. Unlike Oz, Zoe actually needs some sort of sustenance to sustain herself.

As the embodiment of fear, Oz didn’t NEED to directly consume fear. For as long as fear exists, he could sustain himself. Then why consume fear at all? Because he likes the sensation and it’s the source of his magic. There was a distinct yet indescribable difference of feeling fear and consuming it. Of course, he never felt those differences before he had a corporeal body, so back then it was simply a pleasant thing to do. The one thing he could feel aside from apathy before curiosity came along.

Z’Gord was a Dark Deity. As an object of worship, they gained a lot of power from belief and the sanity of their followers. Oz watched curiously as Zoe ate, she looked like a rabid beast munching on its prey. He wonders if she still has followers or if she was powerful enough to maintain her existence as she is now through her sentience. Considering what he’s seen, it probably doesn’t matter if nobody believes in her (as a deity). Unlike the weak earth gods that manifested from belief, Z’Gord was animated into existence so there should be no issue in that regard.

When Zoe was finished eating, she felt energized and more in control of her powers. Concentrating really hard, she managed to stop automatically spreading an aura of death. Oz complimented Zoe for doing it without him having to remind her. Zoe felt a warm fuzzy feeling from hearing Oz’s compliment and she felt proud of herself.

The next thing they did was train on Zoe’s physical powers, to be more precise, training to restrain them. Apparently, mortals are pretty delicate, either that or she was just too strong and to know the difference. Oz handed her a glass which she shattered upon holding it, Oz immediately mended the broken glass back to its original state. Zoe tried holding the glass again, gently this time, it slowly cracked and shattered before she could loosen her grip enough.

After many trial and error, Zoe could finally hold a glass without breaking it. She asks Oz how he can hold back so much. His answer was that he was never physical to begin with so it was easy to adjust. Zoe was an avatar of destruction, so destroying things just came naturally. She felt a bit disheartened hearing Oz’s explanation, but then he told her that she can definitely get used to it over time. It cheered her up right away.

Many tests later, Oz declared that Zoe will no longer be an accidental death hazard if she can pass the final test. Zoe found holding back to be pretty hard, she was excited to know that she’ll pass this part of her training with one more test.

Oz wrapped his arms around Zoe, it made her flustered. She instinctively wrapped her tentacles around Oz but stopped herself from squeezing him like she did before. Oz didn’t move so Zoe also remained still, it was a weirdly nice feeling but she has no idea what’s going on and Oz wasn’t saying anything. After a while, Oz retracted his arms from Zoe, she retracted her tentacles. Oz’s eyes turned upward as the blobs on his shoulder cheered congratulations to Zoe.

 **“I pAsSeD?”** Zoe said confused.

 _“Yep! Now I don’t have to worry about you suddenly hugging me to death. Figuratively, of course. Since you can’t kill me.”_ Oz said cheerfully.

Zoe processed what Oz said. A hug? Is that what it’s called? It’s certainly more pleasant with less force than constriction. Zoe’s not even sure why she tightly squeezed Oz when she was excited. She hopes that he’ll explain things better for her to understand. Luckily for Zoe, now that Oz is done with training her physical restraint, the next lesson is common knowledge and common sense.

Oz pulled out a blackboard and some chalk. He began lecturing Zoe about the dos and don’ts in monster society before moving on to expressions and body language. Zoe was amazed on how many expressions she didn’t know, blushing in particular sounds really bizarre yet intriguing. The many rules of society were fairly complex in Zoe’s opinion, she was relieved to hear that it should be fine as long as she avoids releasing her death aura on accident, anything else is secondary.

During Oz’s lectures, Zoe asked many questions. He patiently answered all her questions before moving on. She’s really impressed on how much Oz knows about the mortal realm. He told her that he’s been studying them even before they met, so it’s only natural that he knows a lot. Hearing that, Zoe began to worry that Oz won’t let her go until a few millennia has passed.

Reading her fears, Oz let out a laugh and tells her that they’ll be out within a week since he won’t waste a millennium passing on useless knowledge. As much as he hates to admit it, 80% or even 90% of the knowledge he’s accumulated during that time has no practical use. Especially his knowledge on old technology, things update so fast that even some theories he read up on became obsolete. Experience is the best teacher in these sorts of situations anyway, trial and error.

When Oz was done with his basic lecture, he thought it was a good time to take a break. He got rid of the blackboard and brought another pile of humans. Zoe syphoned their sanity this time and Oz tossed them back into the void once she’s done. As they were still on break, something occurred to Zoe. She’s having a lot of fun right now, learning a lot of new things, it was exciting. Zoe stared at Oz as he pulled out a big black box that has wheels on them along with a weird contraption.

As Oz was busy setting something up, Zoe asks the question that’s on her mind. **“Oz, WhY aRe YoU hElPiNg Me?”**

It didn’t really make any sense now that she thought about it. Not to mention that she almost destroyed a city upon her release. If Oz hadn’t sent her to the void, she might have killed the girls she’s been hanging out with accidentally. Oz had mentioned that they were also friends of his. Zoe ignored it earlier back in the void since she didn’t want to anger the only being that could free her, but there was a lot of despair oozing from him at the time.

Oz has yet to answer and was still fiddling with the contraption. **“I pRoBaBlY cAuSeD yOu A lOt Of PrObLeMs, So WhY aReN’t YoU mAd?”** Zoe might be ignorant about a lot of things, but she wasn’t stupid enough to think that what Oz is doing to be normal.

Oz let out an audible hum. _“I’ve just recently realized that I’m quite capricious. So, if I had to give you a reason why, it’s because I want to.”_ He moved over and tinkered with the black box. _“As for why I’m not mad, I’m just not the type to get angry. Rage doesn’t really come naturally to me and I find it exhausting.”_ He turned to Zoe. _“You probably can’t tell but I’m not the best at outwardly expressing myself.”_ He gestured to his mouthless face.

 **“StIlL… yOu’Re DoInG a LoT fOr Me AnD wE aReN’t EvEn FrIeNdS.”** Zoe says meekly.

Friendship was a concept that’s foreign to Zoe until just a while ago when Oz taught her about it. From Zoe’s basic understanding of it, her and Oz weren’t friends. They barely count as old acquaintances. Love she vaguely understands from the books Oz leant her, although he specified that love depicted in those books were hyperbolized and not to be taken too seriously.

 _“Then let’s be friends.”_ Oz said nonchalantly.

 **“I-iS tHaT hOw It WoRkS?”** Zoe strutted. **“We DoN’t HaVe To Go ThRoUgH sOmE cOmPlIcAtEd RiTuAl FiRsT?”**

Oz chuckled. _“No, there aren’t any rituals required. These things are very arbitrary, there are no set of rules and it’s different for everyone.”_

 **“ThAt’S cOnFuSiNg BuT OK!”** Zoe extended an appendage that’s most similar to a hand towards Oz. **“FRIENDSHIP!”**

 _“That’s not really necessary but okay.”_ Oz took Zoe’s hand. _“Friendship!”_ They shake hands.

Zoe was filled with joy upon making a friend. She hopes that she can make more whenever they get out to the mortal realm. Once they’re handshake was over, she looked curiously at the odd things Oz was tinkering with.

 **“WhAt’S tHiS tHiNg?”** Zoe pointed at the black box.

 _“That’s a TV. We’re going to watch something fun on it.”_ Oz said playfully as he pulled out a DVD of The Little Mermaid.

Zoe’s eyes lit up when she read the cover and let out a shriek. Thankfully, Oz has enchanted the CRT TV and every other equipment he brought, otherwise they would have been broken by the sheer volume of Zoe’s shriek. Zoe doesn’t actually know what a movie is but she’s excited anyway.

Oz had set up a CRT TV hooked up with a CD/DVD player and VHS player with a generator to power them up. The generator should last for a week and even if it doesn’t, he can magically charge it. Oz has taught Zoe everything practically important in less than 24 hours. So, now he was left with a lot of free time, more than he expected. Originally, he thought it would take at least 4 day to teach Zoe the basics, considering her past activities, but she’s a surprisingly fast learner and there was less things to teach than Oz initially thought.

Oz conjured up a couch to sit on before starting the movie. Zoe was fascinated by the magic box showing moving images and sound. They both teared up near the ending, happy tears this time. Oz had a massive collection of movies, cartoons, shows, and anime in the void. His and Brian’s room would be filled too the brim if Oz didn’t store them there, along with the massive pile of books, comics, and manga.

All these entertaining media Zoe didn’t know existed before was really interesting. She wanted to try ALL OF THEM and so she did. Oz and Zoe spent the rest of their time binging shows and movies, then switch things up with reading stories and manga as Oz put on some music in the background. Zoe would often ask about things that pique her interests and Oz would answer them if he can, unless it’s spoilers.

* * *

On day 3, after Zoe finished eating some sanity, she tried to do something new. With all the new information she’s consumed, she wanted to look more like a high school girl instead of just being one. Having a humanoid form seems to be the norm, even Oz has a humanoid body. Zoe has been thinking of what her body should look like and she’s finally ready to try it out.

Zoe morphed her body into what she thinks is a cute tentacle girl. Her hair was a mop of tendrils with one of her giant eyes in the middle. Her face had a pair of huge round voids as her eyes, a normal looking mouth, freckles and no nose. Her body was slim and slender with another green eye above her chest, below her neck. Her left arm was a normal hand with a mouths on it. Her right arm is a plain tentacle. Her legs were a bit uneven with eyes and mouths on them.

Zoe cleared her throat. “Hey Oz. What do you think?” Her voice sounded like a girl now and not a horrendous nightmare creature.

Oz chucked the last insane human from Zoe’s meal into the void. _“Your voice sounds good.”_ He hummed.

“Nice!” Zoe cheered. “I mean no!” She protested. “What do you think about how I look!?” She struck a pose.

Oz finally turned around to see Zoe, his eyes rounded in shock. _“Y-you look g-great.”_ He turned away. _“I’ll be back in a minute.”_ He melted and disappeared.

“WHAT!?” Zoe shouted in surprise at Oz’s sudden disappearance.

Oz hasn’t left this entire time for anything, why would he suddenly leave like that? Did she actually look really ugly? No, that can’t be right, her previous form looked a lot more unappealing in comparison. Besides, Oz doesn’t care much about appearance. Did she say something weird? Maybe she actually looks weird. Before Zoe could think more on why Oz suddenly left, he was already back.

 _“Here.”_ Oz shoved something towards Zoe without looking at her.

Zoe took what Oz was holding… it was clothes. It was then Zoe realized, that she was completely naked. Her face heated up as she quickly put on the clothes Oz gave her, it was yellow hoodie and black sweatpants.

“I-I’m done!” Zoe yelled, trying to shake off her embarrassment.

Oz let out an audible sigh and turned to Zoe. _“Give me a warning next time.”_

“It was supposed to be a surprise!” Zoe stomped her foot.

 _“Well, it certainly did surprise me.”_ Oz took a step back to take a proper look at Zoe’s body. _“I prefer symmetry but asymmetry has its charm.”_ He looked up at Zoe’s eyes. _“Why the different hands?”_

Zoe raised her hands up. “I thought it’d me more me, as in Zoe, y’now? Since I’m not Z’Gord anymore, I wanna show off more individuality.” She wriggled her tentacle arm. “Plus, I think it’s pretty cool this way.” She grinned.

_“It’s certainly unique. You put a lot more thought into it than I did.”_

“How did you choose your form?”

_“The average size of a human teenager.”_

Zoe waited for more but Oz didn’t continue. “That’s it?”

_“That’s it.”_

“Why didn’t you change later on? You can morph into anything!” Zoe threw her hands up.

_“I like it this way, it’s very unassuming. Besides, I got use to it and changing things up would be bothersome.”_

“What do you mean by bothersome?” Zoe tilts her head.

Oz eyed Zoe from head to toe. _“You’ll understand soon enough.”_ He turned around and walked towards the couch.

“What does that me-blugh.” Zoe tripped on her own feet when she tried to walk, falling on her face.

Oz came back and helped Zoe up. _“Guess it’s time for more training.”_

“Yeah.” Zoe pouted. “Can we have BGM?”

 _“Sure.”_ Oz smiled.

“By the way, where did you get these clothes from?” Zoe looked down at herself.

Zoe never really asked about any of the random items Oz pulls out from his dimension, she just assumes he has them at the ready. But Oz went away for a while before giving her the clothes, so he must have gone somewhere. Both the hoodie and pants fitted her well to feel comfortable and not restricting.

_“My wardrobe.”_

Oz rarely changed, so all of his clothes were back at the apartment. He did have a spare of his dress-shirt, cardigan, and trousers but he figured it would be easier for Zoe to wear something without buttons.

Zoe’s mouth opened wide. “GASP! This is yours?”

 _“You don’t actually say gasp.”_ Oz made the sound of a gasp. _“But yes, that’s mine.”_

Darn, she needs more practice in sound reactions. Zoe looked back and forth between her and Oz, their body size was similar. Now it makes sense why Oz had clothes that fit her. Zoe wonders if she can get clothes of her own later.

_“Anyway, why don’t you slowly take a step.”_

“Oh, right. Walking.” Zoe was snapped out of her thoughts.

Zoe had her walking training accompanied by inspiring background music, including the classic Eye Of The Tiger. Zoe never had feet before, so just like the little mermaid, she was like a fish out of water. It felt really weird, she had no problem standing still and even marching in place but once she tries moving forward, she loses balance. It was still easier than holding back her physical capabilities, so she was able to walk and run fairly quickly.

Proud of herself and excited for mastering the bipedal art of walking, Zoe gave Oz a hug in celebration. The act was a lot more comfortable in her new humanoid body. They continued their routine of watching shows and reading comics. Zoe’s favorite stories were those involving romance and culture references.

Oz found Zoe’s company to be comfortable in a way that’s different from all his other friends. Perhaps it was due to the fact that they were both eldritch horrors. Zoe was easy to read and understand, especially since Oz clearly reads her fears. Zoe doesn’t mind it since she often reads people’s minds and it saves her the trouble of telling Oz her worries. Oz had forgotten that Zoe can read minds since he’s immune to mind readers, he’s not sure where his mind is anyway.

Oz told Zoe to not read everyone’s mind when she goes out if she could help it. Some things just can’t be helped. While Oz can suppress his fear senses, he can still clearly sense the fear if it’s strong enough. Oz stopped reading fear intentionally for strangers after Vicky told him that it’s an invasion of privacy and he liked privacy. He still does it sometimes unintentionally though.

The two eventually shared stories of what they’ve been through since they last met. Zoe had less to say on the matter with being trapped in a totem, she was more interested in the tales Oz had about what school life was like and if it compared to the shows they watched. It actually sounded a lot more absurd than what Zoe expected which was perfect, she loves surprises!

* * *

It’s Friday and a week has passed since Oz came to the despair realm to teach Zoe. Well, they spent more time binging anime and manga but that’s also very educational for Zoe. With Zoe’s high curiosity, it was definitely a practical way for Oz to teach her while he de-stressed.

Oz told Zoe it was about time that they go to the mortal realm. Zoe was excited when she heard the news and pulled Oz into a tight hug. Oz can’t tell if Zoe just really likes hugging or if it was still an instinctual thing whenever she got excited, at least her hugs aren’t deadly anymore.

“When are we leaving!” Zoe asked excitedly.

_“Whenever you open the portal out of here.”_

Zoe blinked confused. “What?”

_“Zoe, this is technically your realm. You should be able to get out of here yourself.”_

Zoe facepalmed when she realizes what Oz is saying. This is her realm and now that she has full control of her powers, she could open the portal out to the mortal realm. She had completely forgotten about it. Not wanting to waste anymore time, Zoe opened a portal went through it, Oz followed behind. They showed up at the party tree of Spooky High, it was completely empty.

Oz looked around. _“Looks like they fixed everything.”_ He turned to Zoe. _“So, how is it?”_

Zoe was franticly looking around, taking in the sights. The atmosphere was different from either the void or despair realm. The feeling of wind and oxygen in the air was a refreshing new sensation. She ran towards the big dead tree, touching its bark. Zoe started climbing the tree.

 _“Um, right. I’m going to finish your enrollment process.”_ Oz pulled out a folder. _“Try not to wander off while I’m gone!”_ He yelled before going into the school building.

“OKAY!” Zoe yelled back from a big branch on the tree, waving her tentacle arm.

As she looked down, there wasn’t much of a sight, probably because there’s nobody around and it’s the middle of the day. Oz said it looked interesting at night when there’s a rave. Zoe saw the decorative lights that are off, coiled around the tree. It must really look different when they’re on. When Oz came back, Zoe jumped down from the tree, landing perfectly on her feet with her hands in the air.

“Tada!”

Oz and some of his phobias clapped. _“Nice landing!”_

“Thanks!” Zoe gave a wide smile, it dropped as soon as it formed. “Did… did everything go well?” She asks gingerly.

Zoe was nervous that the school won’t actually accept her application. Oz might have easily gotten in but he hasn’t committed genocide before his transition… that she knows of. With everything she learned the past week, she realizes how terrible her past self was. Not to mention the property damage she caused the school.

Oz place a hand on Zoe’s shoulder. _“It’s fine Zoe. You can go to school on Monday.”_

“Really?” Zoe looked Oz in the eyes.

 _“Really. And you’re fine just the way you are. Like I said from the start, I wouldn’t let you out here if you were an accidental death hazard. You’re not Z’Gord anymore, right?”_ Zoe meekly nodded. _“Alright, let’s get going then.”_

Oz started walking and Zoe followed him. Zoe’s nervousness was replaced by curiosity as she saw various things during their walk. Just like Oz said, seeing things in person is very different from seeing it through a screen. Sure, she saw a lot of things back when she was trapped in a totem, but it wasn’t clear.

“Where are we going?” Zoe asks, the eyes not on her face glance around.

 _“Home…”_ Oz says wistfully. _“I mean the apartment I share with my friends.”_

Zoe’s eyes lit up. “Ooo do you think they’re done with Calculester’s body?”

_“Probably, Vicky said it should be doable and since Elizabeth stayed during the weekend it might have gone faster.”_

“I wonder was secret weapons he has!” Zoe shook Oz’s shoulders. “Do you know if he has any secret weapons?”

_“I wouldn’t know. I can’t read complicated blueprints.”_

They continue to banter as they make their way to the apartment. When they reached the front door, Zoe became nervous and hid behind Oz. Anxiety came rushing through like a ton of bricks on her positivity. Oz might be openly accepting of her but what about his friends? What if they don’t like her? What if they’re scared of her? Would Oz abandon her if his friends didn’t like her? Every worse scenario popped up in her mind.

Zoe’s arms wrapped around Oz’s waist instinctively. Oz thought about consuming some of Zoe’s fear but refrained from doing so, since she isn’t used to it, it’s best to let things play out naturally. He placed a hand on top of her arm and some phobias on Oz’s back patted her head.

_“Do you want to wait?”_

“G-give me a minute.” Zoe stuttered.

They stood still in front of the door for a minute. Oz checked his watch and opened the door. _“It’s been a minute. In we go!”_ He walked in.

Zoe was pulled along since she’s clinging onto Oz. “W-wait! I’m not prepared yet!” She tried to pull back and root her feet on the ground but it was no use. The floor cracked, leaving a trail the more Oz walked.

 _“I’M BACK!”_ Oz shouted louder than usual as he continued walking towards the living room.

Zoe was using all her strength to seriously halt Oz’s movement so her body was shaped like this < as Oz keeps walking. Oz thought it was amusing that Zoe was trying to stop him instead of just letting go. Oz is going to have to fix the floor later but at least it seems like Zoe is less anxious as she’s too busy trying to stop him. Before they reached the living room, a robot appeared.

[:D] “Welcome back Friend Oz!”

“Yelp!” Zoe yelped and buried her face on Oz’s back.

[:)] “Sure, what can I help you with Friend Oz?”

Oz chuckled. _“Hey Calculester. I don’t need any help but Zoe could certainly use it.”_ Zoe hissed as the giant eye on her head glowed red and glared at the back of Oz’s head. A phobia told Oz what was happening. _“I don’t have actual eyes at the back of my head, so glaring at me won’t do you any good.”_ He said only to Zoe.

[:0] “Is Friend Zoe with you? I do not see her in the immediate vicinity.”

 _“Zoe, get off my back.”_ Oz said to Zoe. _“She’ll come out soon. By the way how’s your new body?”_

[:D] “It’s been great. The upgrades have done wonders for my processing and functionality as I can stimulate more complex emotional algorithms.” [:/] “Unfortunately, I am still unable to stimulate eating and pooping.” [:I] “I’m also not waterproof.” [:)] “I do have wireless access to the internet now, although I’m still perusing the encyclopedias you’ve uploaded into my database as it is a good source of factual information.”

Zoe steeled herself as she let go of Oz’s waist while Calculester is rambling on about his new features. She peeked over Oz’s shoulder with her third eye before revealing herself.

[:D] “Oh! Hello fellow organic life form.” [:)] “Am I correct in assuming that you are Friend Zoe?”

“Y-yeah, hey there.” Zoe waves her tentacle arm. “That’s me, Zoe, yep.”

[:D] “It’s a pleasure to meet you Friend Zoe. I am Calculester Hewlett-Packard (v1.0)”

Calculester extended his left hand and Zoe shook it with her regular left hand. That went well, it’d be pretty bad if she couldn’t even do introductions with a robot. Zoe was feeling her confidence come back and started asking Calculester questions about himself. Oz figured that would take some time so he went back and fixed the floor.

“OH MY GOD! WHAT’S TAKING SO LONG!” Amira shouted as she appeared.

Oz had already informed everyone of his arrival with Zoe and told them to wait in the living room. Calculester showed up first to ease Zoe’s tension but now she’s lost all her tension and forgot that she was there to introduce herself to everyone.

[D:] “What seems to be the problem Friend Amira?”

“It’s been 30 minutes! That’s what!” Amira’s hair flared in frustration.

[:0] “Oh my, it seems we’ve lost track of time.”

Zoe squealed, some thin glass shatters. Oz internally sighs in the background. “Hey Amira!” Zoe walked up to Amira. “We had so much fun last week!” She said excitedly.

Amira was confused, her ears are ringing. “Who are you?”

“GASP! You don’t remember me!?” Zoe exclaimed.

 _“Totem, Z’Gord, new body.”_ Oz told Zoe.

Amira raised a brow. “Did you just say gasp out loud?”

“Nevermind that!” Zoe huffed. “It’s me, L’il Buddy!”

A look of realization dawned on Amira’s face. “That was you!”

“Yep!” Zoe made a peace sign and winked. “What do you think of my new look?”

“Errr…” Amira was dumbfounded. She’s having a hard time processing Zoe’s new look. She had prepared herself to meet the monster she unleased from the totem, not a cute tentacle girl. “You look cute?"

“Jackpot!” Zoe balled her left hand into a fist. “I should go meet the others!” She ran off down the hall and came back as fast as she went. “I don’t know where to go.” She pouted.

[:D] “I shall lead the way.”

“Let’s go!” Zoe pointed towards the hall.

Despite Zoe’s high energy, Calculester leisurely walked to where the living room was as Zoe followed behind him. Amira was still dumbstruck until Oz tapped her on the shoulder.

“Is she always like that?”

 _“Sometimes. I told her to tone down the shrieking and that was actually a pretty low volume.”_ Oz could hear 2 voices squealing in the distance. _“We should get over there before something breaks again.”_ He began walking.

Amira walked beside Oz. “If that was low I don’t wanna know what her loud is like.” She patted her ears. “How doesn’t that hurt your ears? Don’t you have super good hearing?”

 _“I don’t actually listen with my ears.”_ Oz pointed at his ear. _“This is just decoration. Regardless of the volume, sound doesn’t affect me physically. Mental sounds are a different matter.”_

“Great.” Amira said sarcastically. “Wait, then why do you use headphones?”

_“I don’t specifically hear with my ears but I can hear through them.”_

“I don’t get it.”

_“Do you want me to explain the specifics?”_

“Nevermind. Basically, your ears can’t bleed.”

_“I don’t have blood to begin with.”_

Amira punched Oz on the shoulder. “That’s not what I meant you smartass.” She snickered.

In the living room, it seems like introductions are over while Vicky and Zoe are chatting up a storm. Calculester was just standing there next to them. Brian was sitting on the beanbag chair with his usual deadpan look as he covered his left ear. Amira went to join the girl talk while Oz went over to Brian.

 _“Does your left ear hurt?”_ Oz asks concerned.

Brian turned to look at Oz. “No, my right ear is deaf now.”

_“Ah, I see. I doubt a hand would actually protect your left one though.”_

“Eh, it was worth a shot.” Brian stopped covering his ear. It’s just as noisy. “How was your week?”

 _“It was great!”_ Oz happily replied. _“How was yours?”_

“Surprisingly chill, all things considered.” Brian turned to look at the girls and Calculester. “She’s a lot more normal that I expected.”

 _“Well, she really wants to fit in just like everybody else.”_ Oz followed Brian’s gaze. _“When was Calculester’s body finished?”_

“Sunday.”

_“That fast!?”_

“Ms. Schmidt works fast.” Brian sighs. “I’m not sure she’s actually human. She didn’t sleep at all when she was here.”

 _“Elizabeth has her ways.” She’s not as young as she looks._ Oz let out an awkward laugh.

Brian raised a brow at Oz but drops it before Oz could see. He really didn’t need to know more about Vicky’s mother. “So, is it safe to say that Zoe isn’t dangerous?” He changed the topic.

Oz ponders for a bit. _“She’s still very dangerous but not world ending dangerous. She’s still getting used to things. At most just be careful of her voice and possibly-.“_

“OZ!” Zoe yelled excitedly.

Zoe tackled Oz so hard to the ground, the floor cracked beneath them. Everyone froze trying to comprehend what just happened. When Oz realized what just happened his brows furrowed.

 _“ZOE! RESTRAINT!”_ Oz yelled.

“Oops.” Zoe let go of Oz and placed her arms beside him. “Anyway, is it true I can stay here!?”

Oz is lying on the floor as Zoe hovered over him with sparkling eyes. He sighs. _“Yes, it’s true. Although that won’t be the case if you don’t contain your excitement.”_ He gave her a disapproving look. _“You could’ve killed someone with that tackle.”_ He said only to Zoe.

“S-sorry.” Zoe said meekly.

When they both got up, everyone was staring at them. Oz looked down and saw the giant dent their fall cause, he facepalmed. The whole apartment needed to be fully enchanted at this rate, he thought.

Oz turned to Zoe. _“Just making sure but are you just going to tackle anyone on sight when you’re excited?”_ He said only to her.

“Of course not!” Zoe huffed. I only do it to you because I know you can handle it, she thought. Not many things have survived her clutches and she’s already holding back a lot when shaking hands with others. She’s still not completely used to being gentle yet and Oz is her only outlet.

Oz eyed Zoe skeptically. True, she would’ve just tackled someone closer otherwise. Still, she practically leapt 15 feet just to glomp him. Well, this will certainly be the thing that keeps his guard up when nothing else has.

[:0] “Are you alright Friend Oz? Did the fall cause you head trauma?”

 _“I’m fine.”_ Oz sighs. _“Let’s just forget this ever happened.”_ He immediately fixes the floor, making sure it seems like nothing happened.

[:)] “Understood. Erasing memory for the last one minute and thirty-three seconds.” *whir* [:0] “Oh my, why is everyone silent? Are my audio sensors working correctly?”

“I-it’s fine Cal.” Vicky smiled confused. “You can hear me, right?”

[:D] “Ah, yes, it seems that everything is working perfectly.”

“ANYWAY!” Amira shouted. “We should celebrate now that we’re all here!”

“I agree!” Vicky pumps a fist in the air. “Let’s go get ice cream!”

“Me too!” Zoe cheered.

Oz checked his watch. _“No.”_

All the girls turned to Oz. “Why not!?” They whined in unison.

[:I] “Are you opposed to the celebration or ice cream Friend Oz? I myself can’t consume food.”

_“It’s not that. We can celebrate later.”_

“Then what are we doing?” Brian asked.

Oz got behind Brian and covered his ears. _“We’re going shopping.”_

Ear shattering shrieks filled the room. Amira had braced herself and covered her own ears when Oz covered Brian’s ears. Calculester’s screen shone red with warning signs. Vicky was somehow unaffected and added to the noise. When both Vicky and Zoe finished shrieking, Amira smacked both of them upside the head.

“Do that again and I’ll punch the both of you!” Amira growled.

“Sorry.” They both pouted.

 _“You okay there Calculester?”_ Oz asks as he stopped covering Brian’s ears.

Calculester’s screen flashed before showing his face. [:I] “Noise levels out of critical range. Systems back to normal.” [:)] “I am fine.”

Brian looked at Amira. “How bad was it?”

Amira cupped her ears towards Brian. “Did you say something!?” She yelled.

Brian shook his head, that’s a pretty bad sign. He didn’t hear anything at all when Oz covered his ears. His right ear is still ringing from the previous squeal. Brian’s not sure what to think about Zoe, mostly because he can barely hear her. She’s definitely as dangerous as Oz said she was. Other than that, she’s just as excitable as Vicky.

Zoe ran over to Oz. “Oz! Oz! Oz! When you say shopping you mean clothes shopping, right!?”

_“That among other things like school supplies, furniture, a phone.”_

Zoe hugged Oz, with less force this time. “This is gonna be so much fun!”

[:0] “May I partake in this activity as well?” [:D] “Although I do not have money to spend, I shall do some window shopping.”

Zoe moved over to Calculester and slung her tentacle over his shoulders. “Of course, you can Cal! We’ll buy you some new clothes too, it’s my treat!”

[:0] “Is that really alright?”

“It’s fine! Us new kids gotta stick together!” Zoe patted Calculester’s shoulder.

[:D] “Very well. I shall take you up on that kind offer Friend Zoe.”

The color crew had gathered around Brian who hasn’t moved at all from the beanbag chair as Zoe chatters off to Calculester.

“Does Zoe actually have money?” Vicky whispered.

_“She does. She’s actually pretty loaded.”_

“How?” Amira raised a brow.

_“Cult offerings.”_

They went silent for a moment. News of some fanatics looking for their “Lord Z’Gord” has been circulating around lately. The trio isn’t sure if it’s worth mentioning or not, it is a doomsday cult after all.

“Hey Oz, how sure are you that Zoe won’t end the world?” Amira went straight to the point.

 _“99%.”_ Oz instantly replied. Coming from Oz who thinks of every possible bad scenario, that’s practically a 100% guarantee. Maybe the world will end some other way, but it’s not by Zoe.

“Let’s say, hypothetically, some Z’Gord worshipers approached Zoe. What would she do?” Vicky poses the question. Brian facepalms at the lack of subtlety.

Oz looked at them confused. _“She’d tell them that she’s not Z’Gord anymore, she’s Zoe now and that they should stop worshiping her.”_

Brian looked up at Oz. “Have you had this conversation before?” Oz answered concisely too quickly by his standards for it to be the first time facing the hypothetical question.

 _“Oh yes. Me and Zoe had a conversation about the possibility of her cult still being active. Despite their god being gone for centuries, cults can be very persistent.”_ He looks up recalling something. _“She said that they were like roaches. No matter how many she kills, more just show up and that’s before she wanted to be rid of them.”_ Oz turned to look at Vicky. _“They’re still around, aren’t they?”_ Vicky just laughs nervously, scratching her head. _“Well, it doesn’t matter. We’ll see them when we see them. Zoe can handle herself in that regard.”_ He shrugged.

“Okay then, moving on.” Amira said. “How exactly are we going to the mall? We all won’t fit in one car and Cal is very bulky.”

 _“Let’s just take the bus.”_ Amira and Vicky looked quizzically at Oz. _“It’ll be good experience for half of us.”_ He’s including himself in that.

And so, the 3 monsters, 2 eldritch horrors and a robot went to the mall via bus ride. They were fortunate enough to get on a bus with very little passengers, they took the back seats. Zoe kept scurrying back and forth looking through the windows until Oz said she won’t be getting a phone unless she stays still during the ride. She settled down and just looked through the back window that actually has a better and longer view of past surroundings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love chaos XD  
> It's been a while since I wrote the last backstory chapter, might write another one.


	30. Royal Pain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Damien exposition/backstory I guess.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been feeling self-conscious about what I'm writing aside from having a headcanon-timeline-POV crisis that I wrote 3 different chapters at the same time, re-writing them a few times before settling on one accompanied by a song to listen in the background. Gira Gira (English Cover) by Will Stetson.  
> This is a mix of canon and some of my headcanons :3 Now I realize why I have trouble writing Damien, his personality flip-flops in-game depending on the stat checks XD

**Last Week**

It was a lovely Saturday morning in hell. The sky was bloody, the pterodactyls were squawking, the king and other king of hell were tormenting souls by replacing their teeth with harmonicas, making their screams fill the air along with harmonica sounds. While tormenting sinners is easy work that can be left to their minions, the kings of the 8th circle of hell like to lead by example. Plus, it’s fun to come up with various ways to torture souls of the damn.

Lucien and Stan LaVey are strong and gracious rulers. They pioneered the idea of love as the ultimate alliance, the ultimate weapon and the ultimate life goal. Under their rule, they stopped the endless unproductive bloodshed by surviving any attempts made for the crown, proving their power and love.

In the middle of their work, an assassination attempt on the crown was made. A magical lighting bolt flew through the air towards Stan’s back. Before the lightning bolt could hit its target, it stopped and dispersed, hitting a magical barrier that Lucien had conjured.

“DEATH TO THE LAVEY’S!” A demon roared from afar on the roofs of the castle. “YOUR REIGN WILL END TO-!” The demon was struck by lightning from the sky and collapsed down to the ground with a splat.

“How foolish.” Lucien tapped his staff on the ground. “Don’t announce yourself after a failed attempt.” He scoffed.

“Not that it would make a difference with how easily you crushed them my darling husband.” Stan laughed uproariously.

“I suppose.” Lucien shakes his head. “Honestly, these pitiful attempts are becoming tedious.”

“Better that then an actual threat.” Stan stroked his chin. “Although, a good challenge would be great every now and then.”

“Right?” Lucien let out an exasperated sigh. “Well, at least the fool had perfect timing.” He turned to his husband. “Stan, would you be a dear and drag that thing down to the special kitchen? I’ll go and get Damien.”

“Leave it to me!” Stan thumped his chest with pride.

The kings of hell shared a quick kiss before Stan went over to retrieve the crispy unconscious demon, slinging them over his shoulders like a sack of rice. Of course, the would-be assassin isn’t dead, yet. Death is swift and merciful, there will be no mercy for attacks against the crown.

Lucien headed towards Damien’s room, giving a few knocks on the door notifying his arrival before forcefully opening the door if Damien didn’t come out. Stan would usually just bust the door open without warning, same with every other door, making for constant door repairs throughout the castle.

Damien opened the door. “Sup Dad?” He yawned.

“Oh, you’re up early.” Lucien’s eyes widen in surprise. He was sure he’d have to force his way in with how Damien tends to sleep in during the weekends. “Anyway, an attempt on the crown was made earlier.” Lucien said matter-of-factly.

Damien’s eyes lit up with expectation. “Does that mean?”

“Yes, sweetie.” Lucien smiled with his eyes. “We’ll be having LaVey Chili tonight, your favorite.” He said gleefully.

“FUCK YEAH!” Damien pumped his fist in the air as his tail swished contentedly.

“Now let’s not keep your father waiting too long or he’ll eat up some of the ingredients.”

Damien and Lucien headed down towards the special kitchen they use especially for making their family’s greatest secret, the LaVey Chili. A chili so supernaturally spicy that it would literally melt regular people’s tongues off if they took even a drop of it. The kitchen was located way down to reach the deepest parts of hell for maximum fire flavor.

Stan had laid out all the ingredients they needed by the time Damien and Lucien arrived. HellPeppers, Knives (any metal can be used), the demon that attacked them earlier and a pot of Fire where everything will be cooked in.

“I see we’re finally using those.” Lucien looks at the stack of knives.

Stan laughs. “It would be a shame not to!”

Damien looked at his Dads confused. “What are you two talking about?”

“Well, your delightful friend Oz gave us some exquisite pure iron knives when he visited and I thought it would be a waste to eat them as they are.” Stan explained boisterously.

“Speaking of Oz.” Lucien turned to Damien. “Why don’t you invite him over for dinner tonight?” He smiled.

“WHY!?” Damien yelled at the top of his lungs as if he was having an existential crisis, maybe he is. He didn’t expect to have his Dads mention his crush out of the blue.

“You keep mentioning him lately and considering he helped you study for your exams, we’d like to extend our thanks. So, it seems like a great time for another visit.” Lucien explains.

“Again, we’re very proud of you for passing!” Stan patted Damien on the shoulders.

“On a different note, I’d also like to have a chat with him about the spell book he borrowed.” Lucien added.

Both Lucien and Stan were both very intrigued by Damien’s new friend. It’s rare for them to actually meet one of their precious son’s friends, on account that they’re usually busy when he brings them over. Oz seems to be a good influence on Damien, considering that none of the tutors ever succeeded in making their baby boy improve his grades.

“Uuuuh…” Damien was dumbfounded. A mix of confusion, joy and pride swirled within him. As nice as it would be to have Oz come over again, he’s not fucking ready for that now. Luckily, Oz was away for whatever reason, so Damien doesn’t even have to think of an excuse. “Oz is busy and there’s no signal where he’s at so I can’t contact him.”

“Oh?” Lucien narrowed his eyes. “Well, that’s a shame but it is rather short notice.”

“Do tell us when he’ll be able to visit next.” Stan gave a wide grin.

The LaVey’s proceeded to make their secret LaVey Chili. Throwing in the HellPeppers and knives into the pot of fire, letting it perfectly melt before throwing in the traitor into the pot as well. They screamed in agony, dying a slow painful death from fire and boiling metal along with the spicy HellPeppers seeping into their burning flesh. Finally, they added the last secret ingredient, screaming “GAAAAH!” into the pot as a family.

Dinner was great, the extra iron really did add more flavor to the already delicious LaVey Chili. It got Damien thinking, for someone who doesn’t actually eat, Oz has weirdly good taste. While Damien doesn’t exclusively eat spicy things, it is his favorite flavor. He recalls the coffee Oz had ordered for him back during their little detective game. He’s not really a coffee drinker but the one Oz got for him was definitely tasty, he didn’t know there were spicy coffee.

From his dads’ example, Damien knows that ordering for your partner is the ultimate proof to of how well you know them. Oz isn’t even his partner (yet) and he already knows Damien very well. But what about the other way around? Thinking about it gave Damien feeling of happiness and irritation towards himself. Oz seems to have an advantage over him in the ‘knowing things’ department, despite all the info on him Damien secretly (or so he thought) bought.

* * *

Back in his room, Damien was just lounging around, thinking. He really needed a lot more time to sort things out. At the very least, it looks like his dads already like Oz too. He always admired his dads and aspire to have the sort of loving relationship they have with his own partner. Damien would tell them about his crush but that goes back to the shooting thing and they can be too intrusive at times.

There was a time Damien felt like he could tell his dads anything since they were so loving and supportive. However, that openness couldn’t last. His dads made it clear that they want Damien to inherit the throne and become general of their armies one day. At first it wasn’t a big deal, it only made sense since he’s their only son and ruling sounds cool. Eventually, that one expectation turned into pressure the more he grew up and realized the weight it carried. Little by little, Damien held back his thoughts and opinions on certain matters, fearing that it would disappoint his dads.

The pressure wasn’t enough to change Damien’s relationship with his dads but it did make him less open with them compared to how it was before. It made him feel sad whenever he thought about it. Truthfully, he doesn’t like being a prince, sure there are some perks but he hated the responsibilities that came with being royalty. Sometimes he wishes he was just a regular demon with no title to his name so that he’s free to be whatever he wants.

Damien has entertained the thought of actually taking over the 8th circle of hell when his dads stepped down. It didn’t go so well in his imagination. His dads are great kings and leaders. What if when he takes over, he doesn’t do a good job and ruin everything his dads built? What if he’s not good enough to be king? What if he took over only to disappoint everyone? These scenarios haunted Damien to the point where the pressure was too much to handle that he lopped off his right horn, thinking that it would possibly give him an out. All it did was get him grounded for 3 weeks and nothing more.

Why did he think cutting off his own horn would dismiss him from ruling? Because for demons with horns, loosing them was a disgraceful thing, a sign of weakness. At least, that’s how it usually was everywhere else in hell. Unfortunately, for Damien such superficial reasoning held no meaning in the 8th circle of hell that’s ruled by his dads. He was kind of relieved that his rash actions didn’t actually ruin his family relationship but he was back to square one in solving his issue and left with a permanent reminder of what happened. It didn’t really matter in the end.

Damien wants to be a hairstylist and makeup artists but he can’t even gather up the courage to tell his dads about it, knowing what they want from him. He really didn’t want to seem ungrateful but they don’t ask much from him to begin with and the one thing they want from him is the one thing he doesn’t want. If they reject his dream job or dismiss it when he tells them, he’s not sure how he’d handle that. Even worse, they could forbid him from doing it as a hobby altogether.

Back when Damien started hanging out Miranda, he thought she might share some of his woes. But that thought was quickly diminished with how unironically proud Miranda was in her royal status. Miranda’s naïve, ignorant and wholeheartedly believes in old monarchy traditions. Vera keeps trying to teach Miranda about feminism but nothing seems to stick. Damien really worries about her sometimes but ignorance is bliss and he’s kind of jealous of that. If only he could accept his role as prince just as easily as her.

Damien even got himself a rival because all this ruling the 8th circle of hell crap. Dahlia Aquino keeps trying to kill him, picking fights with him whenever they bump into each other. Not sure why she targets him when instead of his dads but she’s fun to fight with sometimes. It does get annoying with how stubborn she is and doesn’t care about timing. They don’t fight as much since he started going to Spooky High but she still tries to ambush him whenever he’s in hell.

When he graduates from high school, he’ll be appointed to be general of one of his dads’ armies. Time was finally closing in, even if he won’t be ruler right away, the path is laid out for him. Damien feels like if he doesn’t do something before that happens, his future would be permanently sealed, that there would be no going back. Oz said there’s no need to rush but that’s only because Damien hasn’t told him the full story.

Oz is the only one that Damien’s talked about his dream job. It lifted a tiny weight off his chest but the burden of hiding it from his dads is still there. Damien wonders what Oz would say if he told him his conundrum. A part of him thinks that Oz wouldn’t make a big deal out of it, just like everything else he’s told him. Another part of him hoped that Oz would care and help him find a solution for his problems. Then there’s the part that thinks Oz would finally say straight to his face that he’s an idiot for worrying about being privileged. All options seem possible, maybe even all 3 at once if he’s feeling snarky.

Damien’s thought about talking about it with some of his other friends but being the way that he is, he doesn’t really feel comfortable revealing it to them. Even Oz, if he didn’t keep catching Damien off guard, he wouldn’t have told him anything. The fear monster had somehow slipped his way through Damien’s callous exterior right to his goddamn heart.

Damien stared at his phone, reading the texts Oz sent last night. It’s still there, it was real, he wasn’t dreaming. He wonders if Oz was messing with him, Oz does tend to be cheekier through text. Just thinking about Oz’s adorable laughter on the other side gave Damien fuzzy feelings. Aw fuck, Damien’s gonna have to get his act together before school starts again if he’s planning on holding a normal conversation with Oz without acting like a complete idiot.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah, a short chapter. Sometimes I wonder if I write too much or too little and I can't tell what's better -_-'  
> As I was writing another color crew backstory chapter (which is already longer than this chapter) I realized it will be a really long chapter since I want to make it the last backstory chapter, basically there's a lot of ground to cover.  
> Should I slowly work on the backstory chapter while focusing on the present plot or just focus on the backstory? There's also the option of cutting the backstory up into different chapters to make it shorter and focus on one character at a time. As you can tell I'm very indecisive now ):


End file.
